Bridget Wever.
The MFA DE&I Advisory Council would like to see an industry where everyone can thrive, feel heard, supported, and safe to do their best work. Let’s meet the Changers who are sharing their own lived experiences to inspire us all to change for the better.
The term “DEI” has been thrown around a lot in recent years. As someone who’s worked in organisational DEI efforts for close to a decade, I’ve often observed it being used in ways that misrepresent what it actually means.
At its core, DEI – short for diversity, equity and inclusion – is nothing particularly radical. It’s about creating environments where everyone has a fair shot. It means ensuring our workplaces reflect the communities they serve, that opportunities are equitable, and that people feel they belong.
That’s it. It’s not a quota system. It’s not a plan to lower standards. And it’s not an ideology. It’s a commitment to something very Australian: a fair go.
US DEI backlash puts global brands under pressure
While DEI has been a hot topic for years, backlash in the US has intensified recently – and thanks to America’s cultural influence, those conversations often spill over into Australia. It’s worth taking a closer look.
On day one of Donald Trump’s presidency, an executive order targeted DEI programs across federal and, to some extent, private sectors. In response, many US-based and global companies began reviewing or scaling back DEI commitments to avoid violating the new directives or attracting the ire of the administration.
Target was one of the first to retreat. After adopting DEI measures in the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 murder in its hometown of Minneapolis, the company quietly pulled back a supplier diversity program that had boosted spending with Black-owned businesses. Civil rights leaders, including Rev. Al Sharpton, called for a boycott. While broader economic conditions played a role in Target’s poor performance, the CEO admitted consumer boycotts helped drive a $420 million revenue shortfall in Q1.
This reflects a broader US trend where DEI is increasingly politicised. Terms like “DEI hire” have emerged to dismiss people based on identity rather than ability – misrepresenting what DEI actually stands for. Some companies might be tempted to back away from DEI to dodge controversy, but doing so risks reputational damage and undermines progress toward genuinely inclusive workplaces.
Australia is not the US
There are promising signs, however, that this approach doesn’t fly in Australia. Take the recent federal election, where the proposal to ditch work from home policies for federal workers resulted in swift backlash and subsequent reversal of the proposed policy.
While its proponents pitched the proposal as being in the interest of productivity, for those with caring responsibilities – which continue to largely fall to women – that flexibility can be the difference between being able to participate in the workforce and not.
We saw this following the rapid shift to working from home during COVID-19 lockdowns. The added flexibility proved to be more than just a luxury, leading to an uplift in women’s participation in the workforce in Australia more than the trend prior to 2020 – an important win!
This isn’t to suggest Australia has everything figured out. But what we do have is a national value that still resonates: a fair go. And at its core, DEI is simply an organisational framework for ensuring that’s available to everyone.
Where to from here?
Despite recent distractions, DEI is not political. It’s about building inclusive teams where a broader range of people can contribute and succeed.
Research consistently shows that diverse teams make better decisions, deliver better results, and help businesses stay relevant to their consumers. It’s not just about doing good – it’s good business, too.
While it may be tempting for organisations to stay quiet or step back in the face of potential controversy, now is not the time to back away from our values. The values that underpin DEI – fairness and opportunity – are values most Australians already subscribe to. They’re not something to fear or reject.
We shouldn’t allow foreign culture wars to distract us from doing what’s right for our people and our workplaces.
Bridget Wever is Senior Performance Director at Performics
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