My passion for equality and diversity
One of the reasons for my passion for equity is because of my sense of fairness.
When I was a university student, I was asked to write about the relationship between economics and competition. I realised that since many economists were men they were inevitably providing male-perspectives.
As part of a student assignment, I was asked to write a critical review of a book written by a leading accountancy expert. I questioned how my student opinions could be worth as much as those of an expert. To begin with, I lacked confidence because I did not believe that my opinions as a student held the same value as a respected accountancy professor.
However I soon discovered that academic experts often have theories based on assumptions. Assumptions which can be flawed and do not always hold true in the real world. I realised that even though I was a student I had a right to an opinion, to ask questions, to challenge and in that willing and courage to make a difference by using my voice.
I became less intimidated by experts, and had more confidence in my own thinking.
After I graduated with a BA ( Hons) in Accounting, I wrote a story about why people who have degrees in Music, Chemistry, English, Physics and Geography, are seen as making better accountants than accountancy graduates. The story was published in the Financial Times, in the Accountancy Column. It received a response in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ section.
Even though I had shown creativity, I received a letter from a public sector organisation which said that they did not consider accountancy degrees as being relevant to the media. The letter suggested that accountancy graduates are seen as number-crunchers.
I realised that equality and diversity is not just for people in Human Resources, it is for everybody. I discovered that some of the thinking from diversity leaders was from an HR perspective and not from an equalities perspective and I am committed through the use of my voice and my work, to helping to change that.