BARRIERS TO PROGRESS AND PRACTICAL ACTIONS
CULTURAL RESISTANCE AND LACK OF BUY-IN Despite growing awareness of the ethnicity pay gap, efforts to address it often encounter resistance, both overt and subtle. This resistance can stall progress, dilute impact, and shift attention away from the structural change required. It is not always loud or oppositional; more often, it emerges in the form of hesitation, minimisation, or performative gestures. Panellists at the conference highlighted several common forms of resistance: A reluctance to name racism or acknowledge how bias operates within systems. The use of tokenistic language or symbolic diversity statements without sustained follow- through. Fatigue or defensiveness among majority-group leaders when confronted with uncomfortable truths about inequality and privilege. These dynamics are not unique to any one sector, they are common challenges in equity work across the board. At their core, they reveal a tension between organisational aspiration and the discomfort of transformational change. Naming these tensions is essential, but so too is creating structures that sustain momentum beyond individual enthusiasm. Without visible, senior-level commitment and a sense of shared responsibility across teams, EDI efforts risk becoming siloed or deprioritised. Equity cannot be framed as an ‘HR issue’ or the remit of a single department, it must be positioned as a core business imperative. PRACTICAL ACTIONS FOR MAKING CHANGES Many panellists advocated for practical mechanisms to embed accountability, including: Integrating equity goals into executive scorecards and performance reviews. Linking pay equity progress to organisational objectives and KPIs. Ensuring regular, transparent reporting on actions taken and outcomes achieved.
True accountability means creating systems where progress is expected, measured, and rewarded, just like any other strategic priority. Resistance should not be seen as a barrier, but as a signal that change is happening, and that it must be stewarded with clarity, persistence, and leadership from the top.
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