Why businesses struggle with authentic EDI

Written by Bhavik Parmar, executive director of Sampad South Asian Arts and Heritage

‘EDI’ is a term that many organisations use regularly. It appears in strategies, board papers, recruitment packs and staff surveys. But I think many businesses still struggle with what authentic inclusion looks and feels like in practice.

We intentionally use the term EEDI – Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Equality suggests treating everybody the same, whereas equity asks us to recognise that people do not all enter spaces with the same experiences, barriers or opportunities. Inclusion is not simply opening the door, it is creating environments where people feel that they belong once they walk through it.

I remember being at drama school during a lecture on the ethics of representation. At one point, another student openly questioned whether someone like me had only been offered a place because the university needed to “tick a diversity box.” Out of 67 students on my course, I was the only South Asian student.

I can still remember how isolating that moment felt and in that moment realised something, that I did not see people like myself around me in the arts sector. I had very few role models who shared my background or lived experience. There were no obvious people I could look towards for guidance and think, “there is a pathway for someone like me here.” Despite that, I still believed change was possible.

I decided I would rather become part of that change than quietly shrink myself to fit into the space around me. I later became the university’s Black and Ethnic Minorities’ officer within the Students’ Union because it felt like one of the only ways I could help educate people and create safer environments for others.

That commitment continued throughout my career, including serving as an EDI Champion within previous workplaces. What I learned very quickly is that authentic inclusion cannot be achieved through policy alone.

I’ve gone through the range of terms from Ethnic Minorities, people of colour, people of the Global Majority and whilst references change, ultimately it’s about finding a way to find commonality where society gathers.

An anti-racism statement on a website does not automatically make people feel safe and a one-off training session on microaggressions or tokenism will not suddenly transform EDI. Real inclusion is about who is visible within leadership, who is invited into the room an who organisations choose to partner with.

Our approach to EEDI is rooted in this thinking. That means creating opportunities for genuine dialogue, creative participation and cultural celebration that go beyond performative gestures.

That is the work that matters to me. And that is the kind of cultural shift I hope Sampad can continue supporting across Birmingham and beyond. The invitation to connect with us will always stay open.

Find out about our corporate partnerships here.