Creating a More Equitable World One Speaking Engagement at a Time
In a Harvard Business Review article, Ruchika Tulshyan, author of The Diversity Advantage, shared that 69% of global speakers are male, and begged the question: What will it take to improve diversity at conferences?
It starts with understanding that when panels lack diversity, audiences miss out — on the richness of varied perspectives on the issues being discussed and potential outcomes or actions that might arise from broader representation. Acknowledging the value to the audience is just a beginning. Consider the value sponsors place on a demonstrated commitment to diversity and the opportunity for action.
However, good intentions don’t automatically translate into diverse representation. Often, speaker and panel lineups are culled from the same lists and networks and organizations need a pathway to create more equitable programming, based less on big names, and more on experts with diverse experience and representation.
In collaboration with Facebook, The Female Quotient has built the Speaker Equity Assessor to tackle the issue of representation among conference speakers on a global scale by providing a holistic evaluation of speaker lineups. Once event organizers input speaker data into the Assessor tool, it analyzes the data and provides high-level insights to help organizations select a more diverse slate of panelists who will better represent those watching and listening. These metrics create accountability that can change the faces seen both in person and on virtual stages and among those watching and listening.
The Speaker Equity Assessor is not simply a tool to be pulled out when planning begins; it is a call to action for companies, conferences, and events to recognize the importance of passing the mic and showcasing diverse perspectives. To build a global culture of fairness and inclusivity and help ensure that conferences are offering high quality insights based on a wide range of viewpoints, equal speaker representation is vital for all of us.
As Shelley Zalis, CEO of the Female Quotient, says, “When visible role models and spokespeople are predominantly male, the absence of diversity in leadership becomes normalized. Fewer women and people of color choose to speak, and it limits the quality and range of vital discussions. The Speaker Equity Assessor provides metrics that create accountability, changing the faces we will see both in person and on virtual stages.”
Be #SpeakerReady.
The Speaker Equity Assessor is a secure tool that will provide private data intended for internal use only. Companies and organizations can use the tool for free for the first year by creating an account online. For more information, visit thefemalequotient.speakerequityassessor.com.
Rainbow Kirby's experience spans brand building, business development, content marketing, digital media, and campaign creation and activation. As senior writer for The Female Quotient, she applies this knowledge with a strong focus on thought leadership and media partnerships to tell the stories of the change agents making an impact in the business of equality.