In this topic, we explore why diversity, equity and inclusion matter for your organisation, community or nation. We also look at some of the challenges and opportunities that representation brings.

Representation

Representation is about how someone – or something – is described or portrayed. When thinking about First Nations organisations, communities and nations, representation is about who within the collective has a voice.

Representation is important when thinking about ‘your people’. From your board, management and staff – through to your members and wider community.

The principles of diversity, equity and inclusion are great tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. Together, they can make a powerful difference in:

• addressing discrimination and bias
• improving representation.

Equity, diversity and inclusion are – in part – about social justice and the idea that each person has value to contribute.¹“Why Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Matter,” Independent Sector, October 6, 2016.

They also make smart business sense. This is because non-discriminatory, diverse and inclusive management, boards and groups perform better and solve problems more creatively than those that are less diverse.

“The evidence is clear that better decisions are made when a broader spectrum of backgrounds are represented in the decision-making process and for this reason, it is critical that Indigenous and culturally diverse women are given every opportunity to develop board skills and participate at the highest level.”
– Kirsty Moore, CEO Indigenous Business Australia.²“Q&A with Indigenous Business Australia CEO Kirsty Moore,” Women on Boards, accessed May 2023, [link]

It is important to understand what each of these terms mean and why they matter. Consider these terms when thinking about how and why decisions are made, how information is communicated – and everything in between.

Diversity, equity and inclusion

Diversity

Diversity is the practice of including people who represent difference. For example, difference in gender, physical and mental abilities, age, educational background, sexuality, history or identity.

Diversity is more than just acknowledging or tolerating difference. It’s about accepting and respecting difference.³The Concept of Diversity, Community Psychology and the SCRA Council on Cultural, Ethnic and Racial Affairs, February 2, 2018, [link] It is also about acting upon the different rights and interests of members to ensure they have equal participation and a voice in their selection of leaders who will represent them. This means that the combined group of leaders who govern an organisation, community or nation should be widely representative of all the members, not just one family or faction. An additional aspect of diversity is that board directors and leaders should reflect a diversity of skills, personal qualities and life experiences.

There is great diversity within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Questioning, Asexual, Sistergirl, Brotherboy ‘+’ (LGBTQIASB+) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent a diverse group within this already diverse population.⁴ Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Rainbow Mob Glossary, accessed Feb 2025, Rainbow Glossary, [link]

On the Tiwi Islands, for instance, there are around fifty transgender women who self-identify as Sistergirls, Sistagirls or Yimpininni in Tiwi. Sistergirls make up 5% of the Tiwi Island’s population and are an important and unique part of the island’s culture.

Having groups, leaders and projects that reflect the diversity of your community is important. It brings many benefits, including:

• making your decision-making more effective
• representing and thinking about all members of your group when making decisions
• giving less empowered people a voice, and giving them role models when they have public representation.

The benefit of having board directors with different skills, experience and characteristics means they complement each other. For example, if there are two directors who are business savvy, it is okay for another director to have less knowledge in that area. They bring a set of different strengths.

A core aspect of diversity for governance is the cultural diversity of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. There are, for instance, two distinct cultural groups made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is great diversity within these two broad groups, in the form of hundreds of culturally diverse nations and communities and, today, over 250 different language groups.

This means that the governance established by groups today will reflect this cultural diversity. At the same time, there are some deep cultural features of governing that commonly appear across the governance of such locally diverse groups. These include networked governance, connection to Country, value of traditions, the role of Elders, respect for women’s and men’s areas of knowledge and mutual responsibility.

Equity

Equity is about fairness and justice. It’s the quality of being fair and reasonable in a way that encourages equal treatment of everyone.⁵“Equity,” Collins Dictionary, accessed May 2023, [link]

The idea of ‘equity’ differs from ‘equality’:

• Equity recognises that we do not all start from the same place, and that there’s a need to acknowledge and make adjustments for imbalances.
• Equality is about providing the same to all.

The diagram below helps illustrate this difference.

Equality vs Equity

Source: Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire

For example, equity might look like encouraging and supporting more women on your board. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women make up half the First Nations population across the continent.⁶Australian Human Rights Commission, Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices): Securing Our Rights, Securing Our Future Report (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2020), 50. It makes sense that women are represented as leaders, decision-makers and influencers in an organisation, community or nation.

Equity could also refer to:

• youth or Elder representation
• encouraging LGBTQIASB+ representation
• making sure people with disability get an equal opportunity to participate
• making sure smaller, less visible family or clan groups have a voice who might otherwise miss out in a ‘one person – one vote’ system.

Language, technology, and business or financial literacy could be important skills for your board and management. In this case, equity might look like making sure training is available to community members. This would help those who want to take up leadership positions to learn the skills they need.

Inclusion

If diversity is a measure of difference in identity, inclusion is about respect for and appreciation of these differences. Inclusion is the deliberate act of welcoming and valuing diversity and equity.⁷Donnebra McClendon, “How to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace,” Ceridian, June 21, 2022,[link]

Inclusion happens when a diverse range of people:

• feel and are represented, valued and respected
• have access to opportunities and resources
• can bring their perspectives and talents and contribute to their organisation, community or nation.⁸“Inclusion,” Diversity Council Australia, accessed May 2023, [link]

Governing inclusively is about creating an environment that supports participation and commitment from everyone in your group.⁹“Equity, Diversity & Inclusion,” Center for Creative Leadership, accessed May 2023, [link]

Challenges to representation

Making your governing structures more representative can present challenges. In particular, biases and discrimination can make diversity, equity and inclusion more difficult to achieve.

Building awareness around these issues is an important challenge to overcome if your group is to take equity, diversity and inclusion seriously. It will also help to make sure your group is not breaking any anti-discrimination laws. These are hurdles that are worth investing time and effort to address.

Biases

Bias is a tendency to prefer one person or thing over another, and to favour that person or thing.¹⁰“Bias”, Collins Dictionary, accessed May 2023, [link] Bias can exist in:

Systems and processes

• Particular jobs for certain categories of people
• Decision-making structures favour particular categories of people
• Pay gaps
• Organisational culture supports biases through language, representations of power and leadership

Interactions

• Who speaks up
• Whose views are heard and valued
• What topics are valued and supported for discussion
• Expecting particular people to do different types of tasks – for example, take minutes

Identity

Where there are strong collective norms about how people dress, speak, behave, lead and represent themselves which serve to exclude some people or groups.

Ways of thinking

• Definitions of merit or qualifications for promotion
• Job evaluation schemes that value features of particular groups or collective identities over others, creating prejudices against particular traits
• Prejudice against particular traits

Discrimination

Closely related to bias is discrimination. Discrimination happens when a person, or a group of people and their ways of doing things, are treated less favourably than another person or group because of their background or certain personal characteristics. Discrimination can be illegal if it’s based on a person’s age, disability, race, sex, pregnancy, marital or relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.¹¹“Discrimination,” Australian Human Rights Commission, accessed May 2023, [link]

For example, if the reason for promoting a male candidate over a female candidate is that it is assumed the male will do a better job, then this is discrimination based on sex.

Racial discrimination continues to affect many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There are initiatives within the wider community to strengthen acceptance of diverse cultural backgrounds. However, racism continues to be an ongoing challenge.

Opportunities for representation

A good way for your group to increase representation is to address bias. Find out how individuals or groups of people might presently feel they are affected by bias in the way governance and leadership happens. Understand how this may impact your group’s effectiveness and your members.¹²Donnebra McClendon, “How to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace,” Ceridian, June 21, 2022, [link]

If your group has only ever had women in the role of secretary and only men in leadership positions, this may be an example of bias. Or if younger emerging leaders are being held back from taking up governing responsibilities because the senior men and women on the board are reluctant to step down. It’s important to question who appoints people to these roles, and on what basis. Do they hold a belief about women and men being better suited to certain roles? Why might this be? What could you do to challenge this bias?

Many organisations could benefit by having measures for a more equitable representation of women, Elders and young people. For example, quotas, training programs and mentorship.

Language, translation and accessibility processes could also give someone with great leadership potential, but limited English, the opportunity to hold such a position.

Identify areas where you and your group have biases that need balancing out.

The next step can be a bit more difficult.

When thinking about making change, it’s helpful to think about who currently benefits from the way things are. Changes that shift power can be met with resistance from those who benefit from the status quo.

For example, your group may see the benefit of creating a position for a youth representative on your board. Some older, longer-serving directors might not want to give up their position. They might feel intimidated by a young person working beside them, holding the same position and decision-making authority as them. They may resist change for personal reasons, even though it’s in the best interest of your group.

The challenge for leaders is to find the arguments, strategies and influences to achieve meaningful outcomes for the group.

To help you work through this challenge:

• be thoughtful and purposeful in your decisions
• communicate decisions well
• help your group understand the reasons for why things are the way they are, and the reasons for change.

Address unconscious bias

To address unconscious bias, put in place efforts to move beyond stereotypes. Qualities like patience, openness, and flexibility are key to allowing different working, learning and communication styles to work together.¹³ Diversity Australia, “Managing unconscious bias in the workplace”, 2021.Get to know yourself and the personal assumptions you or your group hold unconsciously by identifying and questioning your own beliefs. Remember you can ask questions of others in your group, not to make judgements but with the purpose of understanding others. Take initiative for your own research and education to minimise burden on members from underrepresented or marginalised groups.

If you work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIASB+ people (Rainbow Mob), understand the uniqueness and diversity within this community and don’t assume all Rainbow Mob are the same, just as not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the same. Everyone has unique experiences. Even when there are shared identities, they do not translate to the same experiences or needs.¹⁴ Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Working with Rainbow Mob, accessed Feb 2025, [link]

Harness the strength of LGBTQIASB+ people, both separately and together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identities. Rainbow Mob are a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.¹⁵ Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Working with Rainbow Mob, accessed Feb 2025, [link]

Welcome all abilities and appreciate that disability encompasses a wide spectrum, and the nature, impact, and visibility of disability can vary significantly. Disabilities may be physical, episodic (when a person’s disability fluctuates during certain periods), psychosocial (when a person’s mental health condition arises through interacting with a social environment that presents barriers to their equality with others),¹⁶ NSW Government, ”What is psychosocial disability?”, accessed Feb 2025, [link] chronic (long lasting health challenges), or exhibit visible or non-visible characteristics.¹⁷ People For Purpose, Toolkit For Boards Disability Readiness, accessed Feb 2025, 6.

Acknowledge and accommodate differences so members in your group can operate at their best capacity and maintain their commitment to kinship, community and culture.¹⁸ Evolves Communities, ”Cultural leave for Indigenous Employees”, accessed Feb 2025, [link] Introduce cultural leave into your workplace policies for commitments such as Sorry Business. Allow for flexible working arrangements and meeting schedules. For example, someone might need flexibility to attend caring or family commitments such as childcare or looking after grandchildren, nieces, nephews, Aunts and Uncles. You might also need to tailor a meeting to facilitate specific language, hearing, seeing or access requirements.¹⁹ Donnebra McClendon, “How to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace”, Ceridan, June 21, 2022, [link]

Good practice

Seek regular ongoing feedback and reporting measures

Diverse, equitable and inclusive representation includes the responsibility of providing safe spaces for people to provide feedback and report incidents of discrimination. Develop, regularly review and promote racism complaint procedures to eliminate workplace racism.²⁰ Diversity Council Australia and Jumbunna Institute (Brown, C., DAlmada-Remedios, R., Gilbert, J. OLeary, J. and Young, N.), Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Centering the Work Experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians, Diversity Council Australia/Jumbunna Institute, 2020, accessed feb 2025, [link] It is important to facilitate truth-telling and hold accountability for addressing issues of power and unrecognised privilege.²¹ Mona Lisa Bourque Bearskin et. al, Truth to Action: Lived Experiences of Indigenous Healthcare Professionals Redressing Indigenous-Specific Racism, Canadian Journal of Nursing Research 2024, 11. You can include visible symbols to signal a sense of safety and acceptance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and Rainbow Mob, using signs, art, pride flags, inclusive magazines, newspapers and having items in language.

Sometimes in a group, you may hear more from those people who are most likely to complain or speak out. Other times you may hear from no one at all. This does not mean there’s nothing going on.

Regular surveys, feedback forms after meetings, ‘open door policies’ and community meetings are ways to:

• understand what’s happening across your organisation, community, or nation
• gauge how your board and group are going
• lead more relevantly and effectively.

Develop a strategic learning program to educate and inform

Invest in ongoing training and learning agendas to broaden and deepen knowledge and improve communication within your group, so DEI isn’t just a buzzword but a tangible, lived experience. Consider implementing anti-discrimination compliance training that includes reference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.²² Diversity Council Australia and Jumbunna Institute (Brown, C., DAlmada-Remedios, R., Gilbert, J. OLeary, J. and Young, N.), Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Centering the Work Experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians, Diversity Council Australia/Jumbunna Institute, 2020, accessed Feb 2025, [link]

Develop a strategic training program for yourself, and those you work with. This can cover anything from communication styles to dealing with conflict and self-identity. For example, gender identity and people’s chosen pronouns. You can introduce a regular program of disability confidence training and LGBTQIASB+ training.

If Rainbow Mob are a part of your service, it is good practice to work collaboratively with LGBTQIASB+ organisations and community members for consultations and perhaps establish a Rainbow inclusion working group to facilitate better understanding of their needs.²³ Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Why Rainbow Mob at inclusion look at Your ACCO?, accessed Feb 2025, [link] Provision of trauma informed care is also included in the Victorian Aboriginal Community Health Organisation (VACCHO) Working with Rainbow Mob guide.

Work dynamics

Make sure everyone feels welcome and encourage contribution by inviting opinions and giving space for a considered response. Be careful not to shut down ideas too quickly. This can prevent some people from contributing more.²⁴ Donnebra McClendon, “How to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace”, Ceridan, June 21, 2022, [link]

For example, a youth representative who feels intimidated, an ‘independently appointed’ board member who may not feel they have the authority to speak, or someone who has limited English.

Mix up your teams to encourage diversity in teams and committees to positively impact creativity and innovation. More perspectives lead to innovative thinking, connecting thoughts in new ways and different approaches to problem solving.

Assess organisational policies

Organisational policies can play a key role in perpetuating existing problems. By assessing and reshaping their policies, groups can create a more equitable workplace.

For example, by strengthening the ways internal conflict or disputes are handled, you can make sure everyone involved is heard equally.

Identify areas where you and your group show structural biases that need to be balanced. Think about whether they will affect members equally. Were they written with everyone in mind? Do they benefit some groups more than others?

Be clear on the accessibility needs of your group and the areas that need improvement:

• Conduct an accessibility audit of your spaces, digital platforms and communications
• Gather feedback from employees, community members and other stakeholders about their experience with accessibility
• Identify existing supports such as interpreting services or flexible work arrangements.

You can also implement measures into your board charter, with clear and accessible communication guidelines that ensure all board directors, including those with disabilities, can fully engage in discussions and receive information.²⁵ Australian Disability Network, A Director’s Guide Improving access and inclusion in the boardroom, accessed February 25, [link] This might include guidelines for offering to provide materials in various formats, such as braille or electronic text, using inclusive language, or making accessibility a priority.

Track your progress

Making structural changes to a group takes time. Having ways to track your progress can help you know what’s working and what’s not. For example, regular feedback channels, staff retention rates and reasons staff give for leaving.

This also makes it possible to measure improvements and progress when changes are introduced.

Recruitment

Your group’s goals for diversity, equity and inclusion can also be implemented at the recruitment level. Diversify your recruitment panel and remain transparent and accountable through objective assessments that include a pre-defined set of questions and scoring criteria alongside a set of skills.²⁶ Australian HR Institute, THE STATE OF Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Australian Workplaces, 2023, 21, accessed Feb 2025, [link]

Standardised psychometric tests can exhibit cultural bias,²⁷ Council of National Psychological Associations for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Interests, Testing and assessment with persons & communities of color, American Psychological Association, 2016, accessed March 2025, [link] potentially disadvantaging First Nations people due to unfamiliar items, language and wider assumptions about non-Indigenous knowledge, education and cultural norms. Tailoring your recruitment materials to be inclusive of First Nations cultures and prioritising having a First Nations individual sit on an interview panel can create a more inclusive recruitment process.

Review your job descriptions and make use of culturally inclusive language, and aim to minimise unnecessary jargon. Are there any advertised roles that require degrees when the candidate can acquire the skills through training or coaching?²⁸ Jessica Barron, Eileen Egan and Raymond Foxworth, Starting with Hiring: How to Welcome Native Leaders to the Philanthropic Sector, 2020, accessed Feb 2025, [link]

To widen your talent pool of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals you can advertise on First Nations focused platforms such as the IndigCareers Job Board or the Koori Mail Job Pages. You can also build lasting relationships with Indigenous controlled organisations, professional associations or Indigenous programs at colleges or universities to explore opportunities like internships, apprenticeships and also communicate when you have new vacancies.²⁹ Jessica Barron, Eileen Egan and Raymond Foxworth, Starting with Hiring: How to Welcome Native Leaders to the Philanthropic Sector, 2020, accessed Feb 2025, [link]