Equality, Diversity & Inclusion statement

Our mission

Our mission is to work closely with partners to ensure data-driven evidence and analysis are used effectively in policy and practice to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience.

As an international organisation working to eliminate multidimensional poverty and reduce inequality, it is critical that we understand our own role in tackling the drivers of inequality and exclusion through our internal practices. We believe that empowering and enabling participation and contributions from all of our people and our partners in a safe and rewarding environment that recognises multidimensional needs is important. Ensuring the overall wellbeing of our people is not only being true to our values and our principles, but also improves the quality and integrity of our work.

Our vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

Our vision for EDI is to create a globally diverse and inclusive workforce, supported by our foundational principles and core values where EDI is woven into the fabric of our culture and where every person has a seat and voice at the table.

Our foundational principles guide who we are and how we work, informing organisational culture and shaping the services we provide.

  • People - DI puts people at the heart of its agenda. We serve the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities. We aim to bring about change in their lives and increase opportunities for all through improvements to systems, structures and resource allocation.
  • Simplicity - DI believes less is more. By making data and evidence simple, visually appealing and clear we can reach people who would otherwise be excluded from accessing information that could empower them.
  • Partnerships - DI encourages collaboration, connection and community. We bring people together from different places, with different experiences, ideas and perceptions so we can produce better ideas and solutions to achieve our purpose.
  • Perseverance - DI believes anything is possible. Through hard work, focus and commitment, change is possible. But change takes time and requires dedication. Our organisation embodies perseverance, focus and resilience in the face of obstacles.
  • Transformation - DI does not believe in standing still. We are always learning, developing and changing. We believe it is important to constantly seek out new ideas and ways of working; explore innovations and technological advances; and develop projects to achieve transformation and unlock change for all.
  • High Performance - DI is thriving because it consists of (and is informed by) high performing individuals, who challenge and encourage each other to do better. We are all committed to being the best we can be. As an organisation, we value quality, rigour and attention to detail.

Our core values embody how we work with each other and our partners.

  • People-centred - we are supportive, friendly and considerate, with mutual respect for how people think, work, live and identify so that together we thrive.
  • Purpose-driven – everything we do is motivated by our shared desire to contribute to positive change in the world.
  • Transparent - openness and honesty are at the heart of how we work, driving high levels of trust, as well as fair and ethical practice.

How we view EDI

Equality involves fairness – our view is that individuals should have fair and equal enjoyment of status, right, opportunity, choice and resource. Equality allows individuals to use their talents and skills to improve their quality of life, increasing performance and realising their full potential.

Diversity is the presence of ‘difference’ – our view is that individuals are unique and different in many ways, be that through values or beliefs, status, gender identity, health or personal characteristics. We feel that by valuing diversity and bringing different opinions, perspectives and thinking together, drives innovation.

Inclusion is about embracing diversity – our view is that individuals must be respected and valued for their differences. Embracing inclusion and the uniqueness of each individual ensures that everyone experiences a sense of belonging which in turns helps promotes shared learning opportunities and increases creativity.

Our commitment to EDI

EDI must be championed and progressed together to be fully effective. We know that discrimination in any form has devastating effects on individuals and on organisations and unacceptable behaviour including bullying, harassment, victimisation or discrimination is simply not tolerated. We are committed to dismantling any barriers that may exist, respecting our differences and eliminating discrimination to allow all our people to flourish.

We want to attract and retain people from diverse sections of society and create a sense of belonging where everyone feels welcome, valued and respected and our people are able to perform to their full potential so that as an organisation, we will learn, thrive, drive innovation and agility and allow us to be more impactful in our work.

As such, we seek to demonstrate best practice in the relationship we have with our people and partners that:

  • Challenge power imbalances, norms and biases – conscious and unconscious
  • Identifies and tackles practical barriers that people may face to fully participating in delivering in their work
  • Recognises people’s diverse needs and supports and rewards people appropriately

We will therefore:

  • Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time or full-time
  • Not unlawfully discriminate against:
    • age
    • disability
    • gender
    • sex
    • marriage or civil partnership
    • pregnancy and maternity
    • ethnicity / race (including colour, nationality, cultural tradition and ethnic or national origin)
    • religion or belief
    • sexual orientation
  • Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination within:
    • Pay and benefits
    • Terms and conditions of employment
    • Disciplinary and grievance
    • Dismissal
    • Redundancy
    • Leave for carers
    • Requests for flexible working
    • Selection for employment, probation, training or other developmental opportunities

In practice, having a diverse and inclusive culture is about being open minded. When views are expressed, they should be done so in a way that is not negative and respects others. Individuals must be mindful of what they are saying, how they are saying it and the forum they are saying it in. When views are heard, individuals must accept that they won’t always agree but providing that the intention was not negative nor disrespectful, they should be open-minded about what they are hearing.

Priority areas

Between 2022 and 2025, we will focus on three key areas:

  • Organisational Inclusivity - By 2025, EDI will be embedded into the overall culture and business operations at DI through promotion, engagement and training at all levels. We will communicate plans, progress and achievements to foster a culture of awareness and transparency.
  • Talent Resilience - By 2025, we will have acquired a more diverse range of talented staff having recruited through recruitment platforms and agencies that actively support minorities and marginalized groups and reach economically excluded groups through internships and apprenticeships. With internships, we will have diversified the academic institutions that we work with to ensure they have a more diverse student composition.
  • Fairness & Accountability - By 2025, we will have improved the diversity of our demographics across all career levels and will have increased support in place for managers and individuals to understand how to grow and advance careers, particularly for under-represented groups through mentorship or sponsorship programmes.

Review

We will undertake a review of this statement in July 2025.

Download this statement as a PDF.