Global progress on DEI goals has stalled in wake of pandemic and war, according to a panel of experts at the World Economic Forum

• A panel convening at the World Economic Forum in Davos today reviewed the world's diversity, equity, and inclusion outlook.
• Quotas and KPIs will not be enough to improve the lives of marginalized people, panelists told event attendees.

A panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos today concluded that progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion is not coming fast enough for the world's marginalized.

Since the last time world leaders met at the conference, companies, institutions, and governments have launched various DEI programs. Some of these included introducing quotas that ensure traditionally marginalized people make it into the interview rooms of big businesses and organizations.

Yet the room at Davos heard that setbacks, which included the pandemic and the Ukraine war, have meant that inequalities not only persist but that we are also seeing progress slowing down in some areas.

"You just can't take your foot off the gas for a minute," said Bloomberg chairman, Peter T Grauer, who spoke at the event. "This is a race without a finish line."

With the global gender gap extended by another generation; LGBTQ+ rights and women's rights under continued pressure; and reportedly less money materializing from the companies that pledged $50 billion towards ending racism in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, it may even be time to push down harder on the pedal.

More than a box-ticking exercise

"It's not enough to use quota or KPIs," Petra De Sutter, deputy prime minister of Belgium, said. When we do, those who do not wish to disclose their disabilities or sexual orientation are at risk of being left behind, she added.

Plus, box-ticking exercises such as these ignore the unconscious bias that takes place in interview rooms. This bias often prevents marginalized people from getting work, or even from being able to access certain spaces.

"Unconscious bias is a part of all of us," Ilham Kadri, CEO and chairman of the executive committee for chemicals company Solvay told the panel. "We really need to be trained, and remind ourselves of it during interviews," she added.

Kadri's company ensures all 100 of her top-level management receive unconscious bias training, and that 50% of Solvay's interviewees come from minority backgrounds; Bloomberg runs unconscious bias training for all of their employees once a year.

But for Kadri's company, Solvay, the issue is not just getting marginalized people into the building, but getting them into the boardroom, and they are far from alone in this. "Women can enter the public service," added De Sutter, speaking on disparities in global governments. "But if you look at the top management, 25% are women."

DEI faces pushback

A wider adherence to diversity and inclusion programs is not only a moral imperative but also an economic one, panelists agreed. DEI has the powerful potential to improve efficiency, bring in new, untapped talent, and drive revenue.

"We are not doing this as a charity, we are a company. I'm running a profitable company, and it impacts the bottom line," Kadri told Davos attendees.

Despite this, there has been significant pushback on DEI, with efforts at inclusion becoming fodder in the culture wars.

To combat this, governments and lawmakers need to get behind efforts to implement change, said panelists. This starts with implementing and normalizing the legal frameworks that help protect marginalized people.

"Legal frameworks are very important as a political struggle so that you know you're living in a country where laws protect you, you cannot be discriminated against, you can go to court, you have your rights," said De Sutter.

Beyond legalities, gender mainstreaming — the concept of considering the different implications for people of different genders of any planned policy action, including legislation and government programs — will be essential for enacting real change.

Other policy and company-wide changes, like extended maternity leave for all genders, unconscious bias training for all employees, and bringing together all sectors of society, from academics and policymakers to business leaders and industry heavyweights to drive new solutions, will all help to implement change. Plus, advocating for equal access to education will prove necessary in giving all workers the opportunity to develop their skillsets.

"Diversity and inclusion merit the same urgency as climate change," said Kadri. "It's time we started acting like it."