The Women Who, Worcestershire Diversity and Inclusion Survey 2023
The theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Embrace Equity” and as part of our work to build a truly inclusive community for business women in Worcestershire, we wanted to understand the diversity of our group and whether it reflects the diversity of Worcestershire as a whole. To find out, we ran an anonymous survey of members. We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this survey, and everyone who has made suggestions for ways we can increase the feeling of inclusion and belonging within the group.
These are our results
163 members of the Women Who, Worcestershire Facebook group responded to the survey during February 2023. With approximately 1600 members in the group, this represents 10% of members. Each question had a “prefer not to say” option which was selected by a very small number of respondents on an irregular basis. Worcestershire wide comparison data has been taken from the 2021 census results available here.
Overall Statistics
90% described themselves as white, compared to 93.8% of Worcestershire,
9% described themselves as Black, Asian, Mixed or Multiple Ethnicities or Other Ethnic Group, also known as the Global Majority community , compared to 6.3% of Worcestershire.
87% identified as straight or heterosexual, compared to 91% of Worcestershire,
10% identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community, compared to 3.3% of Worcestershire.
All responders identified their gender as the same as their sex assigned at birth (also known as CIS gender), or chose the prefer not to say option, compared to 94.4% of Worcestershire.
13% identified themselves as disabled under the Equality Act with their day to day activities limited either a little or a lot as a result, compared to 18% of Worcestershire.
21% identified themselves as neurodivergent, compared to 15% nationally (source: The Donaldson Trust).
We asked members what diversity means to them
“Acknowledging and celebrating the uniqueness of each person as an individual including their characteristics, backgrounds, lifestyles, experiences & interests”
“Diversity to me means, everyone regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, and any other conditions have equal opportunities to function and thrive.”
“Diversity means where “ everyone takes a seat “, equality and differences are addressed and celebrated. Everyone is respected & an equal regardless of their race, gender, neurodiversity, abilities, socioeconomic background.”
Overall Inclusivity
We asked a series of questions on how inclusive members feel the Women Who, Worcestershire (WWW) community is.
%
said yes, WWW celebrates diverse ideas and people
%
said maybe, WWW might celebrate diverse ideas and people
%
said no, WWW doesn't celebrate diverse ideas and people
%
said yes, WWW is inclusive of under represented groups
%
said maybe, WWW might be inclusive of under represented groups
%
said no, WWW isn't inclusive of under represented groups
%
said yes, WWW is inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups
%
said maybe, WWW might be inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups
%
said no, WWW isn't inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups
%
said yes, I feel comfortable talking to WWW about my background without being judged
%
said maybe, I might feel comfortable talking to WWW about my background without being judged
%
said no, I don't feel comfortable talking to WWW about my background without being judged
%
said yes, WWW cares about their community and the diversity within it
%
said maybe, WWW might care about their community and the diversity within it
%
said no, WWW doesn't care about their community and the diversity within it
%
said yes, WWW embraces equity
%
said maybe, WWW might embrace equity
%
said no, WWW doesn't embrace equity
On a scale of 1-10, how safe members feel communicating in the WWW group
Black, Asian, Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups and Other Ethnic Groups – Also known as the Global Majority Community
9% of responders identified as being part of the Global Majority Community. Of those responders, 29% were Asian, 21% Black, 21% Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups and 29% Other Ethnic Groups.
All responders identified their gender as the same as their sex assigned at birth or opted for the prefer not to say option. 14% identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community. 7% also identified as disabled. This demonstrates that most of the members of the Global Majority community are straight women without disabilities.
Global Majority Members Results
71% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW celebrates diverse ideas and people? 29% said no.
71% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW is inclusive of under represented groups? 29% said no.
79% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW in inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups? 21% said no.
On a scale of 1-10, the average answer to the question how safe do you feel communicating in the WWW group was 6.79. This is 1.69 points less than the overall group scored.
86% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel comfortable talking to WWW about your background without being judged? 14% said no.
93% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW cares about their community and the diversity within it? 7% said no.
100% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW embraces equity?
With the exception of the last question, global majority members were less likely to agree than the wider Women Who, Worcestershire community, indicating they find the group to be less inclusive.
LGBTQ+ Members
10% of responders identified as LGBTQ+. Of those, 63% are bisexual, 19% are pansexual, 13% are gay or lesbian, and 6% are asexual. All responders identified their gender as the same as their sex assigned at birth or opted for the prefer not to say option. 13% identified as Black, Asian, Mixed or multiple ethnicities or from other ethnic backgrounds, demonstrating that the majority of LGBTQ+ community members are white women.
LGBTQ+ Members Results
93% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW celebrates diverse ideas and people? 7% said no.
87% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW is inclusive of under represented groups? 13% said no.
94% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW in inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups? 6% said no.
On a scale of 1-10, the average answer to the question how safe do you feel communicating in the WWW group was 7.69, 0.79 lower than the overall group score.
88% said yes or maybe to the question Do you feel comfortable talking to WWW about your background without being judged? 12% said no.
100% said yes or maybe to the question Do you feel that WWW cares about their community and the diversity within it?
100% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW embraces equity?
These results closely mirror the results for the wider Women Who, Worcestershire group indicating that members of the LGBTQ+ community find the group as inclusive. However as we have no clear responses from trans women members, we cannot assess the trans community view from this data.
Neurodivergent Members
21% of responders identified as neurodivergent. We did not gather data on the specific diagnosis members have, but understand neurodivergence can include (but is not limited to) conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia.
All responders identified their gender as the same as their sex assigned at birth or opted for the prefer not to say option. 12% identified as Black, Asian, Mixed or multiple ethnicities or from other ethnic backgrounds. 27% identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community. This demonstrates that the majority of neurodivergent community members are straight white women.
36% identified as disabled with daily activities limited a little or a lot. We did not ask members to specify their disability, so we cannot say whether this disability is a direct result of the responders neurodivergence or an additional disability.
Neurodivergent Members Results
88% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW celebrates diverse ideas and people? 12% said no.
91% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW is inclusive of under represented groups? 9% said no.
85% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW in inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups? 15% said no.
On a scale of 1-10, the average answer to the question how safe do you feel communicating in the WWW group was 8.12, 0.36 lower than the overall group score.
97% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel comfortable talking to WWW about your background without being judged? 3% said no.
100% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW cares about their community and the diversity within it?
94% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW embraces equity? 6% said no.
In the main these results are similar to the results for the wider Women Who, Worcestershire group, although some are slightly lower. This indicates that members of the neurodivergent community find the group almost as inclusive.
Disabled Members
Not all disabilities are visible, and not everyone who would be legally considered disabled under the equality act identifies as a disabled person, or a person with a disability. We recognise this may lead to responders choosing to answer “no” to questions on disability even if they do have a disability or long term health condition.
13% of responders identified as disabled under the equality act, with day to day activities limited either a little or a lot. We did not ask members to share the types of disability they have.
All responders identified their gender as the same as their sex assigned at birth or opted for the prefer not to say option. 5% identified as Black, Asian, Mixed or multiple ethnicities or from other ethnic backgrounds. 29% identified as members of the LGBTQ+ community. This demonstrates that the majority of disabled community members are straight white women.
Disabled Members Results
86% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW celebrates diverse ideas and people? 14% said no.
90% said yes or maybe to the question do you think WWW is inclusive of under represented groups? 10% said no.
86% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW in inclusive of all women, including women from marginalised groups? 14% said no.
On a scale of 1-10, the average answer to the question how safe do you feel communicating in the WWW group was 8.29, 0.19 lower than the overall group score.
90% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel comfortable talking to WWW about your background without being judged? 10% said no.
100% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW cares about their community and the diversity within it?
90% said yes or maybe to the question do you feel that WWW embraces equity? 10% said no.
In the main these results are similar to the results for the wider Women Who, Worcestershire group, although some are lower. This indicates that members of the disabled community find the group slightly less inclusive.
Intersections
Intersectionality refers to the space where a person or group of people have multiple categories of social identity which interact with each other.
It’s difficult for us to go into detail at lower levels as the numbers of respondents that fall into multiple groups are very low, which means if we were to share their responses, we risk identifying the individuals and therefore breaking our promises to keep the data anonymous. It appears that the majority of members with one additional “protected characteristic” do find Women Who, Worcestershire to be an inclusive and supportive environment.
What is clear to see, is that those who fall within the most marginalised groups eg Woman of colour, LGBTQ+ with a disability are less likely to feel the group is as diverse and inclusive as a straight white woman. Whilst the numbers may be low, this viewpoint is extremely important to us. We do not want any member to feel that the group is non-inclusive or not a safe space for them to contribute.
What Next?
This is just the beginning of our journey into making Women Who, Worcestershire a truly inclusive space for all women. It’s fantastic to see so many members do feel Women Who, Worcestershire is an inclusive group, and the statistics demonstrate we are marginally more diverse than Worcestershire as a whole. But we recognise there is room for improvement.
We intend to bring together a small group of members from marginalised groups to help us shape our future plans, acting as a community focus group which will meet to discuss and recommend ways to ensure marginalised women feel included and welcome.
We will continue to gather data and feedback from members and are committed to continually learning and reviewing our practices to ensure inclusivity.
In the spirit of commitment to growth we make the following statement:
Women Who, Worcestershire Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
At Women Who, Worcestershire we support women in business and in life. We are committed to supporting and amplifying the work of all our members. We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is inbuilt, not a temporary initiative. We celebrate multiple approaches and points of view. Our commitment to inclusion across race, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, neurodiversity and lived experience drives us forward. All women, including trans women, are welcome.
with gratitude,
Carrie & Lisa
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