Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Journey
I am committed to a life-long unlearning of my own privilege and white bias and to dismantling the systemic racism that founded and continues to sustain this country.
The most recent stage in my learning and unlearning is working with Annie Gichuru of Uplifting Studios, who has opened my eyes to the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion education, language and policies for my business. I am indebted to Annie for her Inclusive Language Intensive workshop and Represented course, for helping me see systemic racism more clearly, understand my privilege in it and learn how to dismantle racism.
If you’re a business owner who hasn’t already done this valuable work to extricate racism from your business and yourself, I urge you to contact Annie today. This is vital work for healing our society, because all of us suffer under white supremacy and patriarchy. Don’t leave it until you’re ‘ready’ or wait for a ‘better time’ – the time is now.
In addition to anti-racism work, I’m also working to undo my biases around gender and sexuality. I aim for my business to be a welcoming, supportive space for anyone who wants to learn how to relieve pain, have easier periods and restore their natural alignment, whether they identify as a woman or not. My approach has arisen out of my own lived experience as a cis-gendered straight woman, along with the experiences of the many women and non-binary people I have worked with in my practice.
My life and business are based on these values
Love, kindness & self-kindness, respect, inclusion, equity, trust, integrity and learning from mistakes.
Acknowledgements
- I seek to avoid causing harm to others but I acknowledge that as a white, straight, cis-gendered, able-bodied woman living in Australia I was born into and continue to have privilege.
- I acknowledge that my existence in this country was made possible by the attempted genocide of this Country’s original inhabitants and custodians and the violence, racism, exclusion and injustice they continue to experience today.
- I acknowledge that our society today systematically excludes and discriminates against Black, Brown, Indigenous and People of Colour, people living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ communities and women – especially women belonging to these communities.
- I acknowledge that cis-gendered women have traditionally been humiliated, shamed, dismissed and trivialised because of the fact of our menstrual cycle and bleeding itself, so discussing this subject can feel threatening and vulnerable. I aim to create a supportive container so that people can positively reconnect with their bodies and their powerful self-healing intelligence.
Commitments
- I am committed to traveling through my life speaking my truth, living my purpose and being kind to myself, while respecting, allowing and supporting others to do the same.
- I know that I won’t get it right all the time and will make mistakes but I have made the commitment to use my position of privilege to speak up against racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia/transphobia. I will not let embarrassment, shame or perfectionism block me from doing this vital work imperfectly as I know those feelings are tools of the patriarchy and white supremacy and must not be allowed to keep us silent.
- I will sometimes use the terms Feminine and Masculine to refer to the archetypal forces that exist in all of us to varying degrees regardless of gender. Because the Feminine has historically been suppressed and devalued and women have been shamed and oppressed, I am committed to uplifting women and the Feminine to restore balance in the world.
- I commit to being an ally and reviewing these commitments regularly, learning from and correcting my mistakes. I invite anyone who is offended or upset by my words or actions to communicate with me so I can learn to do better.
- I commit to having stamina for this journey and taking responsibility for the part I can play in dismantling racism, sexism, homophobia/transphobia and ableism.
- I commit to hiring diverse staff, supporting diverse businesses and donating a percentage of my business profits to anti-discrimination organisations.
I have taken the Small Business Anti-Racism Pledge – see Rachel Rodgers’ website to sign the pledge
Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Worrung of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which I live and work. I acknowledge their sovereignty over this land was never ceded and I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.