Rotary clubs reflect the communities in which they are based. That is why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is so important for us all and for increasing membership.
Rotary International has made diversity, equity and inclusion a priority for all Rotarians and issued the following statement:
As a global network that strives to build a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change, Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, colour, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
So, just what is diversity, equity and inclusion; What is in it for us, and why does it matter for you, your club and Rotary?
Did you know that it took a Supreme Court battle to allow women to be Rotarians? After years of litigation in 1987, the Supreme Court ruled that Rotary could not exclude women on the basis of gender. Later that year, Sylvia Whitlock, of the Rotary Club of Duarte, California became the first President of a Rotary Club. https://www.rotary.org/en/history-women-rotary
Surprising? In California, men of colour were invited to join Rotary cubs 20 years before that.
And in 1922, Rotary stated that racial considerations could not be considered for membership.
By then Rotary clubs had been chartered in Manila, Calcutta and Tokyo. https://cmirotary.org/stories/racial-diversity-in-rotary
In District 9800, Prahran Rotary led the way in 2018 with the Pride March and many other clubs have embraced LGBQTI members.
The benefits of diverse organisations are well documented, with diverse organisations outperforming homogenous organisations in areas including service, productivity, recruitment and retention. This is attributed to the diversity in perspectives brought by groups of people who think differently, have different experiences from one another, creating more considered and innovative outcomes.
Yet less than 5% of Rotaractors go on to join a Rotary club after their Rotaract journey has ended. So while Rotary is diverse in what it does and the people it connects with, that diversity is not translating into a diverse membership base.
Inclusion is the key to cultivating a diverse culture and we cannot benefit from diversity without an inclusive culture.
In the Rotary membership context, what this means is that it is not enough for us to simply invite people of diverse backgrounds to our meetings and events. Even those who do join will not stay for long if they do not feel included in club planning and decision making as they will feel undervalued and the benefits of their diverse experience will be lost.
So again, what does Diversity, Equity & inclusion look like and how will we know we have succeeded?
“Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance”.
For more information please contact Sue Vincent, District 9800 Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Rotary District 9800.
Diversity & Equity Presentation from the Distrct Assemebly