#FairnessFirst: H&M's diversity manager and the #pinkify debate

This week, diversity was a strong focus on social media as H&M announced the appointment of a diversity manager following the 'racist hoodie' outrage, social citizens stood up for civil rights on #MLKDay, and the #pinkifying hashtag spawned lovers and haters alike.
Original image © Besjunior –
Original image © Besjunior – 123RF.com

ICYMI, here’s a brief overview of these top inclusion, equality and diversity topics and why they matter.

H&M appoints diversity manager

CNN reports that the retailer appointed company insider Annie Wu as 'global leader for diversity and inclusiveness for H&M Group” following the 'racist hoodie' global outcry, with many of their stores vandalised here in SA.
'I have H&M clothes I'm going to burn'
'I have H&M clothes I'm going to burn'

  10 Jan 2018

Wu will do so while continuing as the company's global manager for employee relations. Here’s hoping it’s not too little too late.

Civil rights celebrated on #MLKDay

The week began with the anniversary of civil rights leader Martin Luther King’s birthday, typically celebrated as a ‘day of service’ on the third Monday of the year in the US – similar to our own #MandelaDay here in SA.

Despite Trump’s untimely ‘shithole’ comments over the weekend, many posted footage of their own uplifting acts on the day, with others sharing some of his most inspiring words aimed at freedom of speech, uplifting humanity and undoing oppression:

#Repost @ijessewilliams ・・・ or nah? #MLK #MLKDay #MLKDayofService

A post shared by bethshax (@bethshax) on

Yay or nay for ‘pinkifying’?

A Forbes magazine article called out the ‘pinkifying’ of certain male-dominant sectors to make them more female-friendly.

With the move towards flipping the script on marketing cars for boys and dolls for girls to rather offering gender-neutral toys always a hot topic, most agree with the sentiment above but others say pinkify if you want – you do you.

Words from #WEF2018

Lastly, we kept a keen ear on ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s #Davos2018 promise that we’re ‘deadly serious about addressing corruption’ in SA, while applauding The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2018’s big step in the right direction for gender equality, when it included seven strong female chairs:

Seek and they will speak!

About Leigh Andrews

Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
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