The staff working group spent the year busily advocating for and representing a number of causes using a variety of communication methods.
In February for LGBT History Month, several committee members collaborated with IP Out‘s Darren Smyth on a collection of blog posts and videos covering subjects such as representation in the Judiciary, the history and meaning of the Pride flag and spaces that have had a cultural impact on the LGBT+ community.
Speckled through the whole year the working group made sure to maintain a presence on Twitter, promoting days such as International Women’s Day, National Inclusion Week and Mental Health Awareness Week. Numerous posts and videos were also created for Black History Month and Pride Month, in addition to blog posts that can now be found in the brand-new Diversity and Inclusion section of the website.
With the launch of the CIPA Council D&I Committee, the staff working group hope to continue their momentum and also work in collaboration with the Committee to make sure that the profession is as inclusive and welcoming as possible.
Kereiss Isles, Chair of the D&I staff group, said:
“2021 was a great year for CIPA in terms of what we accomplished through our Diversity and Inclusion campaigns. We were able to put ourselves forward as a supportive and inclusive organisation and we shared our vulnerabilities with each other as staff, which helped us grow closer as a team and organisation. We also came to an understanding that we still have so much to learn and share. I hope that in 2022 we can work more closely with members, committees, other businesses, and charities that are aligned with our commitment statement to make changes.”
