YWCA Canada’s Manager of Philanthropy and Strategic Impact, Isabel Perez – Doherty was recently interviewed on the This is the NOT the Mandy Johnson Show podcast where she spoke to her experiences working in the non-profit sector as a racialized newcomer woman.
The charity sector in the UK is exploring diversity and inclusion and embarking on a consultative process. This interview was the result of a conversation that started on social media.
In the podcast (Part 2) Isabel highlights:
- Systemic barriers in recruitment processes she encountered as she navigated the sector and particularly when seeking to gain access to leadership roles in the Global North
- Employment solutions to ensure newcomers reach their full potential
- Practices employers can champion to create inclusive workplaces
As a development professional, Isabel listens, documents and writes stories of young women navigating society and the job market. Many of the challenges young racialized women face today are the same challenges she experienced a decade ago.
Isabel shares, ‘Sharing my story is important, I believe there are many women out there who on a daily basis face a world that is presented to them as aspirational but which is not accessible, if they do not understand the societal cues they need to learn to navigate systems. I also hope that by speaking up, we can all, especially non-racialized peoples, uncover the experiences diverse communities face in the workplace and beyond.’
Isabel is a 2018-2019 Philanthropy and Inclusion Fellow of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), this Fellowship enhanced Isabel’s knowledge of inclusive practices for the sector. In her blogs Navigating Subtle Word and Feelings and Respectful Curiosity Isabel has captured some of her experiences and presents us with a compassionate way to embrace diversity and practice inclusion.
Check out the podcast to learn more about what we can do to push for inclusive workplaces!
