Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are essential tenets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global objectives designed to address various social, economic, and environmental challenges. These concepts are not only integral to specific SDGs but also permeate the entire framework, emphasizing the need for equitable and inclusive approaches in all aspects of development.

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) are directly connected to the principles of diversity and inclusion. SDG 10 aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. This involves taking measures to ensure the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, regardless of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. It calls for the elimination of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, providing equal opportunities and reducing disparities, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized groups.

SDG 5 focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. This goal underscores the need for ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere, and it involves various targets including the elimination of violence, ensuring women's full participation in leadership and decision-making, and guaranteeing equal rights to economic resources. By promoting gender equality, SDG 5 directly contributes to the broader objective of creating inclusive societies.

Furthermore, diversity and inclusion are crucial in achieving SDG 4 (Quality Education), which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This involves addressing disparities in access to education and ensuring that vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations, receive equal opportunities for education. Inclusive education is a foundation for building more inclusive societies, as it prepares all individuals to participate fully in their communities and economies.

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) also embodies the values of diversity and inclusion. It promotes sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. This includes advocating for equal pay for work of equal value, promoting safe and inclusive working environments, and reducing the gender pay gap. By ensuring that all individuals have access to decent work opportunities and are treated fairly in the workplace, SDG 8 plays a pivotal role in advancing inclusive economic growth.

The pursuit of diversity and inclusion is indispensable for realizing the vision of the SDGs. These principles are not confined to specific goals but are woven throughout the entire framework, reflecting the understanding that a fair, sustainable, and prosperous world can only be achieved when all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances, have the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from development. The SDGs recognize that addressing inequalities, empowering marginalized groups, and ensuring inclusive participation are essential for sustainable development, and they call on all stakeholders, including governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals, to work towards these objectives.

Elsevier, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 72, 1 September 2017
Working mothers often find themselves in a difficult situation when trying to balance work and family responsibilities and to manage expectations about their work and parental effectiveness. Family-friendly policies such as maternity leave have been introduced to address this issue. But how are women who then make the decision to go or not go on maternity leave evaluated?
Background Data for on-demand pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are scarce. We implemented a cohort study to assess its efficacy, safety, and effect on sexual behaviour. Methods We invited men and transgender women who have sex with men, previously enrolled in the randomised placebo-controlled ANRS IPERGAY trial at seven sites (six in France and one in Canada), to participate in an open-label extension with on-demand tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (300 mg) and emtricitabine (200 mg) to be taken before and after sexual intercourse.
Background Since 2002, Afghanistan has made much effort to achieve universal health coverage. According to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3, target eight, the provision of quality care to all must include usually underserved groups, including people with disabilities. We investigated whether a decade of international investment in the Afghan health system has brought quality health care to this group.
Strategic human resource management theory suggests that diversity and equality management (DEM) systems provide a firm with a competitive advantage, leading to superior performance. This study proposes and tests a moderated mediation model focusing on antecedents (i.e. top management team gender diversity) and consequences (i.e. performance) of DEM systems in the context of lower through middle management (LTMM) gender diversity. The model was tested in 248 medium-to large-sized organizations using time-lagged survey and archival data.
SDG target 10.3 is concerned with eliminating discriminatory laws. In the UK, it has been successfully argued before an employment tribunal that a discrimination claim - thrown out during the fees regime because the claimant did not pay - should be revived. This sets a precedent for reducing inequalities based on the ability to pay.
In the UK, average income growth fell to just 0.7% in the year running up to the general election in June, research from think tank the Resolution Foundation has found. The data illustrates the challenges faced by target SDG 10.1 to progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average.
Millenials are much more connected and IT savvy than the Baby Boomers
Companies need to adjust their recruitment and retention practices to take into account the culture and needs of the new millennial generation. This is important for advancing SDG 8.6 to substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training.
Elsevier, Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Volume 40, June 2017
Although sexual minority women (SMW) and transgender women have become increasingly visible in recent years and have made progress in achieving civil rights, they continue to face significant levels of discrimination, stigma, and physical violence. As a result, each group faces a wide variety of health disparities, including mental illness and substance use disorders. Overall, both SMW and transgender women experience higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, suicidality, and substance use disorders than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts.
This chapter advances SDGs 3, 10, and 16 by focusing particularly on the evolutionary/cognitive explanations of racial categorization.
Elsevier, Lancet (London, England), Volume 389, 1 April 2017

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