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Increasing the visibility of diverse identities and amplifying the voices of marginalised people in the sector.
By Roshni Sharma and Matt Duckham
Our industry is beautiful, ubiquitous, powerful, impactful and growing in potential at an accelerating rate. However, for several years now we have been struggling to find creative ways to attract, nurture, grow and retain talent. Our skilled workforce is critical to the industry’s future, as the world becomes increasingly automated and reliant on the data-driven decision-making that we provide foundations for.
As a small but critical industry, we are in the process of realising that diversity, equity and inclusion are not just HR terms — they apply to the very technological core of how we work, what we do and the data we create, use and replicate.
Modern cartography is now digital, and maps are used not only by specialists but also laypeople all around the world. That includes purposes for which they were originally intended to be used for as well as many uses that their creators may not have dreamed of.
The data that goes into them is important, because geospatial data and the products that they create are now endlessly replicated and reworked into a wide variety of new products. As this happens, the limitations and weaknesses held within the constructs of these datasets are also amplified.
As spatial and surveying professionals, we are the gatekeepers of local knowledge, because how we create and what we put into a geospatial dataset will inevitably be a reflection of the world as we see it. And when we do not value diversity, this flows into missing a lot in how we map. We may miss the worldviews of others who exist alongside us, the features in the world that we take for granted or prioritise are magnified, and the things that we feel don’t necessarily apply to us.
An example is that if we are able-bodied, we may not map wheelchair- or pram-accessible areas. But there are other less visible things that we may miss as well.
The Space, Spatial and Surveying Diversity Leadership Network (SSS-DLN) has been contemplating the industry-wide mindsets, values and cultural shifts we need to achieve a sustainable skills base. The good news is, we think it’s within reach, and that many of us will find achieving it an empowering process.
As a first step, we are launching the SSS-DLN Diversity and Inclusion Accord. The Accord is an initiative in which each of us can pledge to increase the visibility of diverse identities and amplify the volume of marginalised voices of people throughout the space, spatial and surveying sector.
The SSS-DLN Accord is based on five key pillars:
- Be an advocate
- Be reflective
- Be active
- Do not accept excuses
- Be visible
The Accord is grounded in the foundation of the SSS-DLN’s ‘Thinking differently about difference: An action plan for boosting innovation and collaboration in the Spatial Sectors through diversity and inclusion’ report. This report identified five key barriers inhibiting diversity and inclusion in the sector: low awareness, Anglo-male cultural stereotypes and biases, recruitment bias, limited focus on diversity and inclusion in workplaces and education, and lack of mentoring and sponsorship.
The Accord provides a first step to increasing the visibility of behaviours and actions which are inclusive, working to dismantle stereotypes which are no longer relevant.
If this is something you find thought-provoking or interesting, please visit https://sssdln.org/the-accord/. You can show your support by signing the Accord, and you’ll also be able to add the SSS-DLN Accord badge to your LinkedIn or social media profile.
Our industry has a rich heritage, and this is something we’re all proud of. The science, technology and solutions we create and facilitate are truly amazing, and growing rapidly every day. Can you imagine what we’ll be able to do in two years, five years or ten years, if we are able to nourish the pipeline of talent to bring people into our industry, keep them there and support intergenerational knowledge exchange to strengthen ourselves and unite?
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