The diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) sector had a challenging year, here in Canada but especially in the United States. It was a combination of social, economic, political, and organizational pressures. 

Several major US corporations – for example, Walmart, Starbucks, Google, Amazon,
Meta (Facebook), Tesla, X (formerly Twitter), Disney, and Nike – scaled back or
reevaluated their DEI initiatives, particularly in response to political, legal, and social
pressures. 

It is a far cry from 2020, the year George Floyd was killed by police in Minnesota and propelled the Black Lives Matter movement around the world. Many of the corporations that are now pulling back from DEI supported #BLM and even hired Chief Diversity Officers.

In Canada, the DEI landscape has also seen some significant pushback but less pronounced than in the US. Although Sun Life Financial, TD Bank, RBC and Scotiabank, have maintained their commitment to DEI, some have made adjustments, by reducing the number of DEI-related roles because of shifting “business priorities”.

The Canadian tech sector has generally embraced DEI, but some companies have stepped back from making public commitments because of internal and external challenges. Shopify, one of the early adopters of DEI, significantly reduced its DEI initiatives to focus on “efficiency” and “performance”.

Governments have also been stepping back. The provincial government in Ontario announced plans to roll back some diversity-related policies and reduce the focus on DEI initiatives within provincial public services.

In Alberta, its premier expressed skepticism about DEI programs, particularly in education. The government aligned with the broader conservative push to reduce emphasis on “identity politics”. And the leader of the federal Conservative Party, looking to form the next government, has referred to DEI as “woke garbage”. 

The Hamas-Israel war brought even more challenges to the DEI sector. Individuals who protested the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza were often accused of antisemitism. And the DEI sector was broadly labeled as being “antisemitic” because some critics said Jewish people have been left out  of the DEI conversation. 

I understand and appreciate these concerns and acknowledge that some DEI initiatives may have unintentionally overlooked Jewish experiences. However, DEI is not inherently antisemitic. In fact, DEI principles are intended to foster fairness, respect and belonging for all people, including Jewish individuals. Antisemitism is an urgent issue that DEI can and should address. Working in partnership with the Jewish community and DEI practitioners who are Jewish, is an opportunity to broaden the reach of DEI. This is something DiversiPro has been doing by working collaboratively with organizations like Enhancing Social Justice Education.

Despite these challenges, DiversiPro had a busy year. Granted, it wasn‘t anything like two years ago when it was akin to drinking from a fire hydrant at full throttle. Back then, organizations in just about every sector – government, private coin rations, not-for-profit, law enforcement, and media – wanted to evaluate their DEI efforts, and leaders expressed strong commitments to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces. We were proud to be partners and trusted advisors of those organizations. They included healthcare, social services, municipal governments, technology, and the arts and culture sector, just to name a few.

DiversiPro is looking forward to continuing to do this important work in the new year, because we know that organizations often struggle to address the needs of individuals with intersecting identities, such as women of colour, 2SLGBTQI+, employees with disabilities, and other marginalized and racialized groups.

While some progress has been made in diversifying hiring practices, as well as retaining and promoting employees from underrepresented groups, it remains a challenge. Despite the successes, in our organizational audits and interviews with employees, many of them report feeling undervalued, excluded from leadership opportunities or isolated within workplace cultures that remain inequitable. 

We remain hopeful that 2025 will see organizations and their leaders redouble their efforts to create workplaces where employees can bring their whole selves to work, making organizations more vibrant and productive.

We encourage organizations to implement strategies that address the complex identities of their employees, shift from performative actions to measurable outcomes, invest in programs that foster inclusive workplaces, such as intercultural competence coaching and development, and focus on long-term, transformative culture change rather than short-term DEI campaigns.