Action Alert | 3 Events, No Stamps. But So Close.
This week the Microsoft Envision, NASEO Energy Policy Conference, and the ANA Nonprofit Federation Conference opened their stages to experts and speakers across their respective industries. All three conferences came so close to earning a GA Stamp of Approval. And it made us wonder… will we ever grant a stamp in 2022?
When it came to the GA Stamp of Approval requirements, we found that all three conferences missed out on a chance to earn a stamp in one of the following ways:
There were not enough women, but there was good representation of women of color. There were enough women but hardly any women of color and non-binary experts. There were not enough women OR women of color.
As you can see, a few more strategically invited speakers would go a long way in changing how each event’s representation played out.
No One’s Getting Stamps. Are GenderAvenger’s Standards Too High?
NO! The GA Stamp of Approval requires a standard expectation of at least 50% women. Success requires a conscious effort and commitment from the planning committee. To earn a stamp of approval, conference organizers must incorporate the voices of marginalized women. We recognize that this can be challenging, but many organizations have earned Bronze, Silver, or Gold Stamps of Approval from us in the past.
"Almost" is a dangerous place to land when it comes to systems change. "Almost" permits us to believe the notion that the effort required to seek out new perspectives and diverse voices in a particular space is "too hard." There's a trend we're seeing where conferences are so close to gender parity and inclusion that they're excused for their lack of marginalized voices or even celebrated with a consolation prize for just trying. We're going to call this trend "The Complacency of Almost."
"The Complacency of Almost" can fuel the apathy for disrupting biases around who is considered an expert, the lack of women participating, and inadequate pipelines for cultivating diverse talent. Of course, we want to acknowledge inclusive efforts, but we can't get caught up in the act of trying. When the work is "too hard" or overlooked, people who speak up (ahem, you readers) get hit with excuses. We discuss why this is ridiculous and how you can respond in our How to Bet the Excuses blog.
So what can be done? It’s time for event planners and conference organizers to think ahead and challenge industry norms. But there are upfront proactive steps required to make transformational changes. We came up with five tips to help build a more inclusive line-up.
5 Tips for Conference Organizers
Refresh Your Speaker List: Building your speaker database is an ongoing process. Look over your list. Check for up-and-coming experts at the intersections of gender, race, ability, age, sexuality, etc. Don’t recycle the same experts or call on the people you’re comfortable asking.
Rethink Expertise: Does every expert in your industry fit the same description? Are they majority men? Majority white? Majority non-disabled? Asking questions like these helps challenge personal bias and industry norms about whose voice gets elevated.
Use Your Platform to Be the Change: Mentorship and resources can help find new voices, train talent, and build diverse pipelines. Use conferences as an opportunity to expand who talks outside current industry standards.
Engage Your Empathy: How would you feel if you attended a conference where no one looked like you or brought up topics you thought were important? Be mindful of how a panel lineup may affect attendees and their experiences in the space.
Use the GenderAvenger Tally: Double-check your work before turning it in! Input your speaker numbers into the GA Tally to count who's present. It takes 5 minutes, and you get a cool graph.
Did we miss anything? We are working on a more robust list. If you’ve got suggestions, we’d love to add them.
Community Action - Time to Take Action - 🧰 Let’s Fix This, Together
Head over to Twitter and tell us why events miss the mark or fall short when it comes to gender parity and inclusion. Share any additional tips or advice you have for conference organizers that we may have missed!
Light the Flame with Inspiring Reads
How can we challenge ideas about gender and authority so that women can claim their place at the table, take their time at the mic, or rise to power and influence? We hope this week’s reads empower and inspire your advocacy and thinking.
Need a new book to honor Women’s History Month? This Washington Post list provides ten upcoming releases by women and nonbinary authors.
More women speaking is always great, but sometimes you need intel to help you get your foot in the door. Innovation Women provides tips on how to get booked for speaking engagements.
How do we employ foreign policy efforts that center the needs of women in their region? Tying gender to military intervention has often been disastrous. Is there another way?
Psst… Sharing is caring! If you enjoy our weekly alert and a love letter to gender equality, pass it on to a friend, colleague, organization, or event planner you know!
📣🚨 Not enough women? Not enough women of color? #MSEnvision, #NASEOEnergyOutlook2022, and #ANANonprofit brought together an impressive group of speakers, but each missed a #GAStampOfApproval. How do we change this?! 😤