International Women’s Day at IMI

Happy International Women’s Day from IMI, where we are delighted to announce several new measures aimed at improving diversity and inclusion. Whether it’s the GPC North America reports indicating that greater provider diversity is desired by users, the 2016 IMI Bienniel Survey showing that women mediator respondants earn less than their male counterparts, or even the IMI social media groups where women are over-represented but under-engaged, we are dedicated to understanding and improving the access of women and minority groups to the mediation profession. Here are some of the steps we are taking, and we welcome your feedback and ideas.

Diversity and inclusion is important not just as a matter of principle. It simply changes the dynamic of an organization, driving people to be more generous, considerate and thoughtful.

Pierrick Le Goff, IMI Board Member
  1. IMI are launching a qualitative research project, interviewing women mediators at different stages of their careers, to better understand roadblocks and opportunities (to get involved as an interviewee, send us an email).
  2. We have enabled the addition of ‘diversity data’ on all IMI profiles, including age, gender, and identification as a minority or First Nations individual. To add any of this data to your profile, login and edit your profile as usual. In future, search filters will be added to the mediator directory, so that people looking specifically for mediators of a particular gender or minority status are able to locate them more easily.
  3. We have appointed three new women Board members, as we work towards 50/50 representation.
  4. We have Board roles of ‘Chair’, ‘Secretary’, and ‘Treasurer’, and to that we are adding a formal Board role of Diversity and Inclusion Lead, to assist us in prioritising these issues in future and signifying our commitment.

Listening to diverse voices is not only normatively desirable, but it produces better data—and better data enables better solutions, whether for an organisation, or during a mediation process.

Laura Skillen, IMI Executive Director

3 thoughts on “International Women’s Day at IMI”

  1. Rodger B. Moles, M.S., Licensed Mediation Consultant

    Would you and the International Mediation Institute be willing to sponsor ‘First Annual Women’s Middle-East Peace Conference’ to be set for later this year in Jerusalem?

    1. Dear Rodger, that sounds very interesting. Here’s IMI’s policy on supporting events:

      Can IMI support our event?

      We no longer maintain a mediation events calendar, however do post IMI-associated events in our blog and on social media as applicable. If you would like IMI to be a collaborating or supporting organisation for your event, note that it must be related to knowledge-sharing, or international, or aimed at enhancing the diversity of the mediation profession. For example, online or conference events that focus on sharing information, international competitions, or workshops aimed at bringing new and diverse groups to the mediation profession.

      Typically, where IMI is a collaborating or supporting organisation, IMI’s logo should be included in collateral and/or on the event’s website; where discounted rates are applicable to an event, IMI Qualified and/or Certified Mediators and Mediation Advocates should be granted a relevant discount; and there may be the possibility of IMI collateral at the event. We do not financially support events or attendance at events, but will promote them to our networks as applicable. Our objective is to promote mediation worldwide—see our Mission and Vision and ‘Initiatives’ section for an idea of what we are likely to support.

  2. Rodger B. Moles

    Greetings Laura: Thank you so very much for your quick and crystal clear reply. I will keep you posted on the progress of the project in as timely a manner as i can. Just taking a survey and getting feedback can be a chore. For too long, male ego’s have been getting in the way of real world peace progress and it is time for a change. In any event, thank you again for your time and consideration in this matter. RBM

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