What is diversity and inclusion, and why is it important?

Martin King, director of Pride Pledge, has delivered gender awareness training across Army camps and bases and the question of what is diversity and inclusion was posed to each audience.

Essentially, diversity is our difference, and EVERYONE is different –

• everyone has a body

• everyone has a gender identity

• everyone has a sexuality

Inclusion is how we are made to feel and something that we need to create and enhance in our Army’s culture. Inclusion requires trust to be built, and to trust each other we have to know and support each other. When people feel included, they are psychologically safe. Why is inclusion important?

Feeling psychologically safe is the number one determinant of organisational success, or what we would refer to as operational success. Therefore, making people feel included and giving them a sense of belonging within our workplaces is fundamental to our output as an Army.

Generation Z currently makes up the majority of our recruiting pool, and approximately 30 percent of this population identify as part of rainbow communities. We know that rainbow backlash causes harm, as people don’t feel included and psychologically safe, and a known statistic is that people from rainbow communities are five times more likely to commit suicide.

Ngāti Tūmatauenga has a unique and independent culture, everyone is different, and EVERYONE should feel safe and included, and that starts with education:

LGBTTQIA+

• Lesbian

• Gay

• Bisexual

• Transgender

• Takatāpui

Queer

Intersex

Asexual +

Using personal pronouns has been recognised as a simple and meaningful change that we can all make to support the LGBTTQIA+ communities, and people are encouraged to incorporate these within their NZDF email signature blocks. If your workplace or unit would like to discuss gender awareness training or the importance of inclusion as an operational enabler, please contact the Army People and Culture team: armypeopleandculture@ nzdf.mil.nz