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About Diversity
InterAction's
Gender Equity, Diversity and Disability Amendments
InterAction's
Diversity Initiative - Purpose and Strategy
Get Involved!
InterAction's
Diversity Initiative brings a new intensity to its commitment to diversity,
which began with a series of amendments to the PVO standards adopted starting
in 1997. InterAction's board adopted the diversity amendments in May 1996,
at the same time that it adopted gender equity amendments. These were
followed in 2000 with a set of disability amendments. While many InterAction
members have addressed gender inequality and, to some extent, disability
issues, the advancement of racial and ethnic diversity has not been a
major focus.
Under the Diversity
Initiative, InterAction has encouraged and aided member agencies to
take effective action to increase the representation of people of color
on their staffs and boards, as well as to adopt inclusive policies
and practices that will enable them to reap the full benefits of a
diverse workforce. Workshops and technical assistance opportunities,
links to new and more diverse pools of candidates, and documentation
of "best practices"
are some of the services that have been offered to members.
InterAction's
Gender Equity, Diversity and Disability Amendments
Gender, diversity and disability amendments to the standards grew
from the realization that organizations need to diversify their boards
and staff in order to become more effective and credible as they implement
programs serving a widely diverse population.
In 1996 and 2000,
InterAction's Board of Directors adopted a set of Gender Equity, Diversity
and Disability Amendments to the PVO Standards, InterAction's ethical
and operational principles. The Amendments encompass governance, management,
personnel and programs. Each year, member agencies are required to sign
a statement indicating that they are in compliance with the Standards.
The Amendments call on members to:
Governance/Management
Develop a written
policy affirming commitment
Increase the number
of women and people of color in leadership
Establish a mechanism,
mandated by the CEO, to promote and monitor progress on gender equity,
diversity and disability
Human Resources
Include gender and
diversity awareness in job performance criteria
Integrate capacity
building for gender equity and diversity into human resource development
for staff at all levels
Institute family-friendly
policies
Develop policies
and practices that support equal pay for equal work
Programs
Institute gender
analysis and planning, and integrate disability inclusion strategies and
diversity issues into each stage of the program process
Train program staff
in gender analysis
Promote the awareness
of diversity and the inclusion of people with disabilities in programs
Ensure programs
and activities are held in accessible locations; training and conference
materials are available in alternate formats; and financial resources
for reasonable accommodations are available
Material Assistance
Ensure culturally
and situationally sensitive materials are provided and accessible to disabled
men, women and children
Child Sponsorship
Children with disabilities
and their families will be included in child sponsorship programs and
child-focused community development projects
InterAction's
Diversity Initiative - Purpose and Strategy
The purpose of InterAction's Diversity Initiative is to increase the
diversity of staff within the InterAction member organizations and to
promote inclusive organizational cultures that support and leverage
the talents and skills of all individuals for a higher performing organization.
Our purpose will be achieved with focus on the following strategic approaches
Increasing Support
at Senior Levels
Developing and implementing a strategic leadership effort to strengthen
diversity alignment and accountability among member senior executives
Strategies for achieving: conduct targeted outreach to CEOs; build strategic
alliances; develop a tool for recognizing excellence in Diversity
Building a Network
of Diversity Change Agents
Developing a core group of individuals committed to and actively promoting
diversity within their organizations
Strategies for achieving: Convene Diversity Working Group; hold conference
calls on technical issues; support an online community; maintain the website;
share best practices
Increasing Access
to Minority Candidate Pools
Competing for and retaining highly qualified and talented employees
Strategies for achieving: gather data; create an outreach guide; link
members to international affairs and development professional organizations;
promote careers in NGO sectors
Expanding Organizational
Climate and Competencies
Leveraging the diversity of talent and people to deliver superior services
and programs to constituencies
Strategies for achieving: Conduct workshops; provide consultation; facilitate
networking and best practice sharing; link to external diversity organizations
Get Involved
Building or expanding a diversity initiative requires everyone to get
involved. Diversity is Everybody's Business!!! What can you do?
· Support
your organization's diversity efforts
· Support outreach and recruitment efforts
· Speak up when people are not being included
· Stay open to new ideas and encourage creativity and innovation
· Seek out additional voices, thoughts, and perspectives
· Talk with your senior leaders about the importance of diversity
· Join The Diversity Working Group
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