My Story

Biography: Reflections on Failing EDI and Experiences of Workplace Racism in Wales

I've lived and worked in Wales for quite some time now, and my journey through the world of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) has been quite an eye-opener. When I first joined my organisation, I was really encouraged by all the EDI statements and policies they had in place. It felt like a place that truly valued diversity. But as time went on, I started to notice a gap between what was being said and what was happening.

I experienced both subtle and overt racism, from off-hand comments to being excluded from conversations and having my contributions minimised. It was disheartening, to say the least. When I raised my concerns, the responses were often dismissive, which led me to formally complain. The complaints process was a real eye-opener, revealing systemic flaws like a lack of empathy, accountability, and meaningful change. It took a toll on my confidence and well-being.

Through this journey, I realised that the EDI implementation in my organisation was flawed. There was a lot of tokenisms, poor handling of complaints, and insufficient training. I believe that for real change to happen, there needs to be honest dialogue, empowerment of complainants, accountability, deep education, and regular reviews of EDI policies.