It's September, the perfect time to level up your D&I game with some help from your favourite D&I consultant, AKA me!
This blog has some key D&I dates for this month.
Are you ready? Let's go...
5th September: International Day of Charity
Starting off, we have the International Day of Charity. It was established as a way to remember the importance of charity, encourage us to take action and make real change.
It occurs on the 5th of September, which is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa received a Nobel Peace Prize for all the charitable work she did in her life.
"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."
I love this quote from Mother Teresa. It captures the importance of charity and the fact that one good deed can have a fantastic ripple effect.
If you would like to support a charity, here are some suggestions for different causes:
Mental Health Charities
Poverty
Disability
Environment
Anti-racism
10th September: World Suicide Prevention Day
Did you know?
1 in every 10 deaths worldwide is a result of suicide. World Suicide Prevention Day seeks to battle the stigma around suicide and raise awareness of the issue.
As a society, we need to change our attitude toward suicide. Instead of stigmatising it, we need to make it easier for those who are struggling to get help. Period.
We can do this by observing World Suicide Prevention Day and by giving a platform to those who wish to share their experiences.
Here are some key stats you can use on the 10th to help raise awareness:
The global suicide rate is over twice as high among men vs. women (IASP)
Suicide is the 4th leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds worldwide (IASP)
In the UK, suicide is the main cause of death for people under the age of 35 (PAPYRUS)
On average, over five young people take their lives each day and over 200 schoolchildren take their lives each year (PAPYRUS)
LGBT+ young people are twice as likely to contemplate suicide, and Black LGBT+ young people are three times more likely to contemplate it (Just Like Us)
There is work to be done, and it is important to remember that suicide is actually preventable in some cases. Take time on the 10th to lean into this topic more. The Samaritans have excellent resources such as this article on myths about suicide. Together, we can raise awareness and help save lives! Why wouldn;t we do it?
15th September: International Day of Democracy
Let's go back to school for a second with this one.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a democracy is a ...
International Day of Democracy was set up back in 2007 by the UN. It is a day when we reflect on the world democratic progress and look at where we can make improvements.
This year is a significant one as the Covid pandemic tested the strength of democracy, as shown in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index Report for 2020. The report shows that
The average global score in the 2020 Democracy Index fell from 5.44 in 2019 to 5.37.
Only 49.4% of the world live in a democracy of some sort, and that value is significantly lower (8.4%) when looking at those who live in full democracies.
There are 57 “authoritarian regimes” as of 2020 (previously it was 54 in 2019)
There is progress to be made if we hope to achieve international democracy, and the 15th of September is a reminder of the democratic reality we want for all.
15-16th September: Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur means 'Day of Atonement' and it's a sacred day in the Jewish calendar. It begins on the evening of the 15th and lasts till the evening of the 16th of September.
It's a time for Jews to reflect on how they have lived the past year and ask God for forgiveness. Furthermore, it is discouraged to wash or bathe, engage in sexual relations, wear leather shoes, apply lotions or creams or go to work on Yom Kippur. Jews mark the day with continuous prayer and fasting.
This video by BimBam is an excellent summary of what Yom Kippur is and how it is celebrated.
21st September: International Day for Peace
This year, the theme for the International Day of Peace is 'recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world'.
The UN created the International Day of Peace in 1981 and ever since 2001, countries observe 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.
Despite an appeal from the UN Secretary-General for a global ceasefire in March 2020, the number of overall wars increased from 15 to 21. This is the highest recorded number since 2014!
International Day of Peace reminds us of conflicts both near and far from home and the work that needs to be done in order to achieve world peace.
23rd September: Bi Visibility Day
The next date on this list is Bi visibility day.
If you are wondering why bisexuals need a visibility day, let me share some stats with you from the Stonewall LGBT in Britain, Bi Report:
31% of bisexuals respondents had been insulted, pestered, intimidated, or harassed in the year prior to being surveyed.
16% of bisexual men and 14% of bisexual women had experienced a hate crime or incident in the year prior to being surveyed because of which they believed was motivated by their sexual orientation.
42% of bisexual respondents felt their sexual orientation might have been a motivating factor in them experiencing unwanted sexual contact.
13% of bisexual people had experienced unwanted sexual contact, compared to 7% lesbian/gay people
74% of lesbian/gay people are out to their friends and family, but only 36% of bi people are
18% bisexual men and 27% bisexual women reported experiencing discrimination from others in the LGBT+ community
50% of bisexual respondents reported life wasn’t worth living, compared to 35% of lesbian/gay respondents
Bi-visibility day is incredibly important to raise awareness around the issues bisexual people face and help overcome biphobia. No one should feel unwanted, excluded or discriminate against because of their sexuality. At the end of the day, love is love! 💜
27th September - 3rd October: National Inclusion Week
Finally, we have National Inclusion Week, a week that has been created to celebrate inclusion.
This year the theme is Unity and the hashtag for the week will be #UnitedForInclusion. During this week, Inclusive Employers are hosting lots of great events that are certainly worth looking into.
Let's create some diversity and inclusion magic this September
There you go! Your D&I dates for September. You can use these in your internal communications, social media messaging and how you position your business in relation to the causes you care about.
If you want more information on how you can build a diverse and inclusive workforce, then get in touch.
Let's Go!
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