Women in Transport is delighted to be a signatory of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Charter which has just been launched jointly by The Railway Industry Association (RIA) and Women in Rail (WR) to champion equality, diversity and inclusion in the UK railway industry. The joint charter is a commitment to work together to build a more balanced higher performing sector and has been backed by over 100 organisations.
The Charter involves several key commitments, including to:
Appoint a member of the senior leadership team as an ‘EDI Champion’;
Agree an action plan, monitor and report on progress made;
Provide opportunities for training and education of employees, support the progression of diverse individuals into senior roles to improve diverse representation at senior and executive level of the UK railway industry;
Create a culture that fosters inclusion and provide a safe space for all employees to talk openly, including at industry events and in meetings; and
Make recruitment and progression processes accessible and attractive to all to attract retain and develop people of all backgrounds, ages, genders and identities.
The Charter is open to all companies, clients and organisations working in the UK railway industry who wish to play a role in promoting positive change in the rail industry. It seeks to recognise and build upon the progress which has already taken place, providing the basis to encourage further collaboration and action across the sector.
RIA Chairman David Tonkin and Chief Executive Darren Caplan issued a joint statement, saying:
“We are delighted to announce the EDI Charter in partnership with Women in Rail. Whilst there has been plenty of progress in the rail supply sector which we should be proud of, there is still more to do to promote diversity and equal opportunity.
“The rail workforce should be representative of a modern UK, providing an attractive career path to people of all ages, from all backgrounds, and ultimately increasing the talent pool from which the future leadership of the rail sector will be drawn.
“We hope the Charter will help encourage not just equality, diversity and inclusion in the rail supply sector, but also diversity of thought, unlocking new talent and building a positive culture throughout the railway industry. We look forward to working with organisations from across the sector to ensure that rail remains a fantastic area to work in during the years ahead.”
Women in Rail Founder and Director Adeline Ginn MBE, said: “The rail industry has worked hard in the last few years to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion within its workforce. In these challenging times, it is important we strengthen these EDI efforts to ensure we attract and harness the skills, knowledge and insight from everyone representing all parts of our society and our customers.
“This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Charter represents our industry’s commitment to openly support this agenda and we are delighted to be partnering with the Railway Industry Association, and all the signatories, on this exciting initiative.”
Commenting on the Charter, Katie Hulland, President of Women in Transport said, ”We feel it is vital to support this initiative to drive gender equality in the rail sector. We believe that collaboration across the transport industry is essential to promote the positive change needed to unlock the potential talent pool that women offer to the industry and to UK growth.”
You can read the full charter here
To find out more and to sign the charter mail info@EDIcharter.co.uk
Women in Transport is a non-profit network with a mission of advancing women working in transport. Annual membership of Women in Transport is £60 per year providing access to professional development and networking opportunities. We very much welcome guest blogs from our members - a great way to share the incredible diversity of opportunity in transport, raise your profile and connect with our community.
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