21 Aug 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 40

Diversity Lens - Issue 133 Diversity Lens - Issue 132 Diversity Lens - Issue 131

Aug 21

Diversity Lens - Issue 40

Diversity Lens

In a rush? Don't miss the ramifications of the A-level algorithms and the shocking findings from a Citizens Advice poll this week. Take a look at these brilliant feminist comics with hard-hitting truths and the fashion platform revolutionising style for disabled people. Make sure you check out this immigration docuseries, and listen to the sportswomen fighting sexism and racism. Scroll down for more stories and job vacancies.

Latest News

The A-level algorithm chaos reveals society’s racist, classist biases
The last week has caused anxiety and distress across the UK as students’ A-level grades were subject to a flawed algorithm. The key injustice of the algorithm lay in the basis of awarding grades based on where students historically performed well or poorly. Privately educated students living in middle-class areas benefitted the most from this system, while students in disadvantaged state schools suffered. Despite the government’s U-turn and apology to students, deep rooted biases have been revealed in the use of algorithms which are being relied on more and more. There is hope in the power of young people to protest and demand change.

Read time: 4 minutes

Benevolent sexism: a feminist comic explains how it holds women back
French graphic artist Emma rose to fame after her comic strip on sharing household chores went viral. Now, her first book has been published, The Mental Load, which moves beyond the home and into the workplace. Her comics look at how sexism is disguised as flattery and the subtle remarks that limit women to what is viewed as 'feminine'. "Benevolent sexism is all about treating women like fragile little creatures that must be protected", one drawing explains. Emma does not see herself as an artist; she started adding drawings to her feminist leaflets as they got more response and continues to draw as a medium to get her ideas across. See more of her comics by clicking the drawing below.

People with disabilities deserve great style
Stephanie Thompson is living with, what she describes as, a "non-severe disability", meaning that she is able to see the world from the perspective of a disabled and non-disabled person. This unique vantage point led to Thompson founding the disability fashion platform Cur8able, aiming to fill the void in fashion by purposely making and designing clothes for disabled people, not able-bodied. Her goal is to “eradicate negative perceptions of people with disabilities" through style. The fashion industry generally disregards the bodies of those living with disabilities and Thompson is on a mission to show the countless financial, social, and ethical reasons for including these customers.

Read time: 9 minutes

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

How to turn corporate antiracism from promise to practice
There has been a very typical and formulaic response to the Black Lives Matter protests among large corporations. But how many are moving past public gestures towards internal revolutionary change? “Good intentions and passion aren’t enough” to make a real impact. Quartz advise; work specifically not generally; don’t recycle popular practices; and balance impact with practicality.

Read time: 5 minutes

Parents, carers and disabled twice as likely to face redundancy, report finds
Citizens Advice polled 6,000 people and found that more than a quarter of those with a disability were facing redundancy, while 39% of carers and parents felt that their job security was at risk. This is compared to just 17% of the working age population. The report found that discrimination was of “particular concern” and that those shielding or in need of more stringent health measures, were often the first to go.

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Story of the Week

Sexism, racism & body image in sport
“We’re not competing to be attractive to men, we’re competing to win”
30% of sportswomen say they have been trolled on social media, and 65% have experienced sexism in their sport. Listen to these women discuss the hate speech they have experienced, and how their role as a sportswoman continues to be undermined and sexualised. These experiences are normalised in what is still a male-dominated space, to the extent that only 10% report the harassment they experience. Furthermore, 20% have experienced or witnessed racism in their sport, particularly in the form of microagressions. Listen to their firsthand experiences, click the still below.

Featured Video

Immigration Nation
From both sides of the Atlantic, discourse around immigration has occupied a lot of media coverage. Whether it is on the ‘effectiveness’ of Trump's wall between the United States and Mexico or which refugee crossing the English Channel is 'worthy' asylum, these cases dehumanise all immigrants and overlook their sole motives to make the journey. Immigration Nation reveals how the inconsistency of US immigration policy has led to profound and often distressing consequences. From the enforces to the enforced, this six-part Netflix documentary intimately delves into the immigration system under the Trump administration. Watch the trailer below.

Following the ICE team as they track down illegal immigrants, showing the real life injustices of America's broken immigration system.

Inspirational Person of the Week

TikTok-famous artist, Laetitia Ky
Laetitia Ky, an artist and activist from the Ivory Coast, has earned TikTok stardom by her gravity-defying hair sculptures. Ky uses her own hair, as well as extensions, wires and threads to shape the sculptures. Her hair art recently attracted attention from fashion designer Marc Jacobs who asked her to promote his handbags. When Ky began to receive messages of gratitude from black women whom she had helped to feel more confident in their skin and hair, "that's when it became serious for me", she explains. She uses her new platform to "promote African and Black pride" and spread messages of empowerment. See some images from her Marc Jacobs handbag campaign below, and click through to read more.

Read time: 2 minutes