#FairnessFirst: H&M's diversity manager and the #pinkify debate
ICYMI, here’s a brief overview of these top inclusion, equality and diversity topics and why they matter.
H&M appoints diversity manager
— H&M (@hm) January 16, 2018
Wu will do so while continuing as the company's global manager for employee relations. Here’s hoping it’s not too little too late.
Civil rights celebrated on #MLKDay
The week began with the anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s birthday, typically celebrated as a ‘day of service’ on the third Monday of the year in the US – similar to our own #MandelaDay here in SA.
Despite Trump’s untimely ‘shithole’ comments over the weekend, many posted footage of their own uplifting acts on the day, with others sharing some of his most inspiring words aimed at freedom of speech, uplifting humanity and undoing oppression:
Martin Luther King's last speech before he was assassinated on the next day.
— AFRICAN HISTORY (@africanarchives) January 16, 2018
Happy Martin Luther King Day! #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/EZtF9CHsFb
Dr. King’s fight is about understanding we are all equal and saying that we will always fight for that beautiful premise. He understood that a beloved community was a diverse community of equal people, of equal stature, that deserved and required equal dignity. #MLKDay pic.twitter.com/cQOf1VoObQ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 16, 2018
Today we remember one of the greatest men in the 20th century who's work for #Equality lives on in the 21st century and forever pic.twitter.com/oKh3bECXOt
— GEORGE(DWTS&more) (@GPBGeorge) January 15, 2018
A Forbes magazine article called out the ‘pinkifying’ of certain male-dominant sectors to make them more female-friendly.
Building #Gender #Equality From The Inside Out And The Outside In
— Theo (@psb_dc) January 17, 2018
"it’s not about making the tech industry more appealing to women by pinkifying it, but rather it's about making the sector a fair and safe place for women."#diversity #inclusion @forbeshttps://t.co/BUde0UMkq1 pic.twitter.com/6TBJ4YPZTT
“To Pinkify or not to Pinkify” https://t.co/G9Bqxje1Rm
— Katrina (@katrinayall) December 15, 2017
No need to pinkify – Girls get interested in tech because it is interesting https://t.co/Gk5ZhJrqpE #Pinkify– #Girls
— Rosalie Mélisande (@RosiMelisande) January 7, 2018
With the move towards flipping the script on marketing cars for boys and dolls for girls to rather offering gender-neutral toys always a hot topic, most agree with the sentiment above but others say pinkify if you want – you do you.
Pinkify whatever you want, fam. Pinkify everything. If you love pink, don't let anyone shame you. If you don't like pink, make an honest assessment to ensure it's not internalized misogyny (if it's not, that's okay). Dudes gotta deal with women reclaiming CS either way.
— Porg Enthusiast (@CatApocalypse) December 16, 2017
Lastly, we kept a keen ear on ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s #Davos2018 promise that we’re ‘deadly serious about addressing corruption’ in SA, while applauding The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2018’s big step in the right direction for gender equality, when it included seven strong female chairs:
Move over suits! The World Economic Forum 2018 to be chaired by seven women! Make it matter @SharanBurrow , Fabiola Gianotti, Isabelle Kocher, @Lagarde @GinniRometty , Chetna Sinha and @erna_solberg . Looking forward to #WEF2018 @Davos https://t.co/MUKEN6l3AY
— Katja Iversen (@Katja_Iversen) January 11, 2018
#WEF2018 theme is how to create a shared future in a fractured world. founder of India’s first rural women bank Co-Chair WEF18, I come with solutions for creating a more inclusive and equitable world. All learnt from listening to women at grassroots pic.twitter.com/Q1ftIzn4Y6
— chetna sinha (@chetnavsinha) January 17, 2018
Seek and they will speak!
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
