In the past five years, the term diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been steadily gaining prominence. While it was benefitting from the popularity of the woke discourse, it has recently become a controversial subject in many conservative spaces across the West.
DEI is composed of programs, practices, and policies that aim to help marginalized populations in academic, professional and vocational settings. However, certain organizations and institutions have either shown reluctance to adopt this ideology or distanced themselves from it. They claim that the practices and programs in place hinder innovation and create an environment of inefficiency.1
While DEI has benefitted from significant media exposure, the concept is still often misunderstood because of it is complexity. That is why the YWCA Montreal has decided to dive in and write an article!
Definition
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, DEI “promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially populations that have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination because of their background, identity, disability, or other characteristics or circumstances.”2
In other words, DEI recognizes that marginalized communities, namely people of color, women, queer folks, and indigenous folks, are vulnerable and thus face more obstacles in accessing education and work. These obstacles, such as prejudice, discrimination, biases, and other systemic obstacles limit and hinder their access to academic and professional opportunities.2
Equality vs Equity
In order to further explore social inequalities, researchers and academics have recently turned their attention to another idea, that of inequity. Approaching this topic with a sociological and anthropological lens, equity explains that communities are not inherently unequal. Rather, inequality arises because of the structures in place that favor certain communities over others. It is therefor important to identify which factors contribute to the inequality and which communities are impacted. To move towards a more equitable society means implementing specific measures that help the disadvantaged communities overcome systemic obstacles.
Researchers and academics use equity to find the underlying causes of inequalities. In a similar fashion, diversity, equity, and inclusion aims to support disadvantaged communities by giving them greater access to resources, education, and professional opportunities. To summarize, equity “aims to eliminate disparities and disproportions that are rooted in historical and contemporary injustices and oppression.”2
Intersectionality: key element to understand DEI
We cannot discuss DEI without mentioning intersectionality, a theory developed by American professor of law Kimberle Crenshaw. Intersectionality argues that each person’s reality is influenced by their experiences and identities. An essential element in understanding the structure of social interactions, the intersectional approach also enables us to analyze the social, academic and professional opportunities available to an individual.
For example, in present day North America, a racialized, queer woman will have more difficulty with finding a job compared to a white, cisgender, heterosexual man. The difficulty is the result of certain values and biases, such as favoring Caucasian people and having preconceived ideas about queerness, that have become norms over the course of time.
That is why it is important to adopt an intersectional approach. In broad strokes, Professor Crenshaw’s theory helps us identify inequalities and marginalized communities and then implement DEI programs and practices to help these communities overcome barriers and succeed.
Real world applications of DEI
To illustrate what DEI can look like when implemented, we’re going to look at indigenous communities in Quebec. These vulnerable communities face several inequalities when trying to access resources, education, training, and employment. For example, indigenous folks have difficulty with attending school and completing post secondary education in Quebec because of systemic barriers.4 That is why several Cégeps created centres to support and help these students. One such example is Dawson College’s First People Centre. During our interview with the College, we learned that they are keenly aware of the barriers for indigenous students. As such, tailored resources are put in place to help them with a variety of issues that they may encounter. The Centre takes a holistic approach that not only focuses on academic well being, but also social and cultural well being.
Another example of how to implement a DEI program can be seen in Concordia University. Because the institution strives for equity and is aware that tuition fees can be an obstacle, Concordia eliminated school fees for indigenous students. 5
Creating a DEI committee is another helpful way to further the reach of diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces and institutions. In order to have a variety of voices and opinions, the committee is usually composed of employees from different departments and echelons. Their goal is to promote DEI best practices and ensure policies are up to date and respected. Dawson College, Cégep Marie-Victorin and Cégep de l’Outaouais, are among the many post-secondary institutions that have implemented a DEI committee.
First People Centres, tuition fee removal, and committees are all DEI measures that are put in place to decrease systemic barriers for marginalized groups and help them succeed in their academic pursuits.
Questioning DEI
Recent political and socioeconomic changes have caused some to question DEI’s use and perceive the ideology as unnecessary and useless. In fact, many American companies and organizations have withdrawn or even cancelled their DEI policies. Walmart, the White House, and the University of Florida are just some of the many American organizations that have ended all their DEI efforts.6,7,8
This means that not only were DEI employees laid off and the positions scrapped, but also that there will no longer be quotas for hiring people from marginalized groups. While this wave of backlash against DEI is particularly strong in the United States of America, faith in the ideology remains strong in Canada. For example, in McGill University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan, the institution outlined several DEI objectives such as promoting the well being of underrepresented groups and promoting inclusive research environments.9 It seems that the momentum to eliminate DEI has not yet crossed borders and taken hold of Canadian companies and organizations.
Conclusion
The Diversity, equity, and inclusion approach aims to change the very structures of our society to make it more equitable. By examining the many inequalities and inequities intrinsic to our social, economic and institutional systems, DEI aims to eliminate the systemic barriers impacting the most marginalized communities. Although this idea is now threatened in the United States by conservative influence, its presence is still strong and sustained in Canada.
References
1. Wingfield, A.H. (2024, April 11). The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion in business is in full force − but myths obscure the real value of DEI. The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/the-backlash-against-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-business-is-in-full-force-but-myths-obscure-the-real-value-of-dei-227038
2. Centre canadien d’hygiène et de sécurité au travail. (2024, February 27). Diversité, équité et inclusion dans le milieu de travail.
https://www.cchst.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace.html
3. Taylor, B. (2019, November 24). Intersectionality 101: what is it and why is it important? Womankind Worldwide.
https://www.womankind.org.uk/intersectionality-101-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important/
4. Stevenson, V. (2024, November 20). Quebec slammed for no plan to improve Indigenous education in nearly 20 years. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/auditor-general-indigenous-education-1.7388960
5. Cadorette, J. (2024, August 28). L’Université Concordia offrira l’exonération des droits de scolarité aux personnes étudiantes issues des Premières Nations et Inuites de tout le Québec. L’Université Concordia.
https://www.concordia.ca/fr/actualites/nouvelles/2024/08/28/l-universite-concordia-offrira-l-exoneration-des-droits-de-scolarite-aux-personnes-etudiantes-issues-des-premieres-nations-et-inuites-de-tout-le-quebec.html
6. Dunne, J. (2024, November 27). Walmart is the largest retailer to roll back diversity policies. What might it mean for Canadian employees? Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/diversity-equity-walmart-1.7394051
7. The White House. (2025, January 20). Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing. Presidential Actions.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/
8. Cohen, R. (2024, March 2). University of Florida eliminates all diversity, equity and inclusion positions due to new state rule. NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/university-florida-eliminates-diversity-equity-inclusion-positions-due-rcna141524
9. McGill University. (2020). Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan 2020-2025.
https://www.mcgill.ca/equity/files/equity/mcgill_strategic_edi_plan_2020-20251.pdf
