Workplace diversity champions who apply their knowledge, skills, experience and emotional intelligence to building an environment of belonging for others will be acknowledged at the 2022 Diversity Awards NZ.
Nominations for the new Diversity Champion Award are open until Tuesday, 14 June.
Diversity Works New Zealand Chief Executive Maretha Smit says, in a statement, that being a champion for workplace diversity, equity and inclusion means more than being a supporter for a cause or being able to share a lived experience of exclusion.
“Diversity champions are self-aware. They can identify the biases and prejudices that are pervasive in our workplaces and society at large. They acknowledge and interrupt their own biases and can read and understand others without distortions of emotionally laden stereotypes.”
She says they challenge non-inclusive systems, practices and mindsets, and they find solutions that have a positive impact on people and culture. “In so doing, they create an environment where individuals feel safe enough to have a voice and to make a contribution to shared objectives.
“They leave a lasting legacy and are recognised by the wider community for their impact.”
The new award will sit alongside five category awards open to organisations – entries for these categories closed in May.
To nominate someone for the Diversity Champion Award, see diversityworksnz.org.nz
