The first annual equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) talk took place at St George’s on the 12th of June. We had the privilege of listening to the inspiring I. Stephanie Boyce, who acted as the former president of the Law Society of England and Wales. Stephanie spoke about her influence in the law profession as the first ever black woman to hold the presidential role. She led the society through times of political unrest and spoke to the fundamental importance of diversity and inclusion in the law sector. Stephanie’s path to success was not without its challenges, as she entered into the field as first-generation British from a single-parent household, having been motivated by a desire to change the inequalities in accessing justice she had observed. It is clear that alike many sectors, there are systemic inequalities causing disparities in opportunities and outcomes for those going into law on the basis of characteristics such as ethnicity and socio-economic background. Stephanie has a proactive approach to this and advocates for finding the root cause of these inequalities through listening and taking action. Stephanie is a hopeful reminder that with visible diverse leadership role models, we too can be part of the change.
Stephanie’s continuous motivation to not only pursue her dream but also to continue fighting for EDI provides inspiration for us all. Stephanie’s ambition for equality goes beyond that of the law profession and encourages us to think about the actions we can take to promote EDI. No matter the amplitude, all steps taken towards prioritising EDI play a vital role in ensuring an equal, diverse and inclusive society moving forward. As healthcare students we are aware of the current ‘disparities in healthcare that the pandemic highlighted’ but what we were not aware of was how we could help make a change. When Stephanie was asked to share ‘her experiences of institutional racism’, she emphasised that she would rather discuss how to bring about change and action. This response felt very profound, further highlighting the resilience it must have taken Stephanie to shift her focus to constructive reactions to painful lived experiences.
As student professionals, we found Stephanie’s unrelenting perseverance in the face of doubt to be incredibly striking. Stephanie managed to believe in herself when societal constructions and the actions of others made it challenging to do so. It reminded us of ways that many of us can face unfair adversity in our journey to success, but that resilience and determination through these hardships can lead to great accomplishment. Hearing Stephanie’s experiences facing three rejections before successfully becoming the president of the law society, was an encouraging reminder to never give up and instead reframe “failure” as an “opportunity for refinement.”
There is great significance in raising awareness of and further developing the existing systems in place that can be used to share experiences of failed consideration of EDI factors. Promoting the importance of sharing concerns is the first step towards change, but in order to be sustainable and effective, the concerns shared must lead to action by others. Throughout the talk, Stephanie emphasised the vitality of listening and working together to ensure EDI is embedded, not only in the legal profession but throughout all sectors. As students we were learnt how implementing the simple skill of listening to the voices of others and acting on their concerns can allow for us to foster change. Professional bodies, including the General Medical Council (GMC) and The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), produce guidance on how to implement promotion of EDI within the field of healthcare. However, this is not enough to lead to successful implementation of EDI considerations in healthcare without us all taking action to utilise these resources. Furthermore, we must continuously question and re-shape these EDI initiatives by assessing whether those around us have felt the impact of these changes. Stephanie discussed the need to ‘identify the root causes of disparities’ including difficult life circumstances and a lack of support. By making efforts to identify these causes, effective EDI initiatives can then be brought about to counter them.
In summary, Stephanie made it clear to us that we must take accountability for the difficulties faced by diverse members of our community, and proved to us through her first-hand experiences that this is indeed possible. She inspired us not only to fight for our own success against hardships, but also to pave the way for those in the future. She showed us that despite resistance and rejection, by listening to the voices of all members of our society, and showing resilience against our own challenges, we can take actions that will lead to change. Every single one of us has a role in the battle towards a world that truly allows for equality, diversion and inclusion, and there is no better time to start that journey than now.
Becky Kemp Arnold, Natasha Wollen, and Kiranjit Khera