Is DEI Dead? Why Diversity Is Now More Essential Than Ever

Over the past year, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts have faced severe backlash, especially in the United States, prompting many organizations to quietly abandon their initiatives. Some claim “mission accomplished.” The data says otherwise.

In Episode 5 of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast, host Michael Green sits down with Elmira Bayrasli, former diplomat, author, professor, and CEO of Interruptrr, to challenge the notion that DEI was simply a fleeting trend. They explore why inclusion is one of the world’s weakest areas of progress and why abandoning it now poses a severe risk to business and society.

Key takeaways:

• Shocking real-world examples, including failures during 9/11 and October 7th, where the deliberate rejection of women’s perspectives led to catastrophic outcomes.
• Why Elmira thinks the US has made it uniquely difficult for women to rise to the presidency compared to other countries.
• How diverse teams are better at lowering risk and anticipating what could go wrong.
• Elmira shares data on women’s representation in media and policy.
• Elmira details why she started Interruptrr.

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