What is National Inclusion Week?
National Inclusion Week (NIW), running from 25th September to 1st October, is a week dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces.
The theme for this year is Take Action Make Impact. This theme aims to get organisations and individuals thinking about what actions they can take and what positive impact these actions could and should have for marginalised employees.
Why is it so important?
Inclusion is a fundamental part of creating psychologically safe and productive workspace and therefore should be addressed by all levels of an organisation if there are gaps or issues relating to a lack of inclusion.
Inclusive workplaces facilitate increased diversity, and the subsequent wide range of skillsets harnessed by that increased diversity. This occurs when workplaces are intentionally built for employing and retaining people from all walks of life, and taking into consideration those who are currently underrepresented in your organisation or industry.
Resources and further reading:
The official website for National Inclusion Week
“Celebrating National Inclusion week (and why it matters)” – a podcast from Diverse Minds
“Everyday inclusion: creating an inclusive culture at work” – an article by DMCG Global
“The Dangers Of Mistaking Diversity For Inclusion In The Workplace” – an article by Dana Brownlee for Forbes
“Cultivating a culture of inclusion” – a video from HSBC
