The British Fashion Council is working with non-profit organizations The Outsiders Perspective and the (Fashion) Minority Report to undertake a “comprehensive review of diversity, equality and inclusion in the UK fashion industry”.
Among other things, an industry-wide survey is planned to collect the demographic data of the British fashion industry. This will be done as part of a pilot program led by the three organizations and will feed into a more comprehensive report to be published later this year.
The Fashion DEI Census is the first step towards a “crucial measurement” of the UK fashion industry’s progress towards fair representation, according to the BFC, and will provide companies with tangible data on their diversity, equality and inclusion practices (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, DEI) and help them evolve their strategies.
“The review is long overdue and marks the first step towards the important measurement of the UK fashion industry’s collective progress towards fair representation,” said the BFC. “The auditing will also provide invaluable insight into whether or not the industry is reflective of the diverse and global communities it inspires and serves.”
“The last few years have been a wake-up call for the fashion industry to address the workforce imbalance from executive to entry level positions,” said Caroline Rush, Chief Executive Officer of the British Fashion Council. “While most companies have taken the time to reflect critically, there is an alarming lack of industry-wide data on the demographics of the UK fashion workforce, making it extraordinarily difficult to track our progress. By providing valuable insight into the key demographics of the UK fashion industry through this project, we can make a real difference to ensure fair representation and a truly inclusive workforce.”
The audit is conducted using an anonymous self-report providing a snapshot of demographics across the UK fashion industry for all professional groups including retail, brands, media, agencies and freelancers, across all functions such as marketing, sales, HR, finance, retail and at all management levels from university graduates to executives.
Individuals are asked to fill in a short series of questions, which take only five minutes, without providing any other information about their job or personal information.
This edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk