Diversity talks about who is represented in our communities through the lenses of race, ethnicity, ability, gender, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, and beyond
Equity talks about addressing systemic barriers and biases in open source to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunities for all community members to contribute, thrive, and advance.
Inclusion talks about cultivating an environment where all community members feel welcome, valued, and respected. It involves fostering a sense of belonging and ensuring that diverse perspectives are heard, valued, and incorporated into decision-making processes.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are all about creating a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone. It means recognising and appreciating different backgrounds and perspectives, ensuring everyone has a fair shot at contributing, and fostering a sense of belonging.This is especially important for open-source software projects, which thrive on collaboration, openness, and community involvement. By embracing DEI principles, open-source projects can ensure people from all walks of life feel welcome and empowered to contribute their best work.
DEI in open-source projects offers several advantages to projects and communities by fostering innovation, ensuring representation, broadening the user base, facilitatingcommunity growth, reducing bias and discrimination, and having a global impact. According to GitHub's 2017 survey, open-source projects with more diverse contributor teams are more likely to be successful.
A research report by the World Economic Forum highlights that proactively embracing DEI practices unlocks the full potential of an organization, drives innovation, and maintains a competitive advantage in today's global marketplace.Another study like the DIAL initiative (Digital Impact Alliance) emphasize how empowering and encouraging more women to participate in open source women drives healthy, inclusive engagement.
The Linux Foundation’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Open Source study aims to identify the state of DEI in open source communities, the challenges and opportunities within them, and draw conclusions around creating improvements in much-needed areas.
Key findings from the study include:
- Eighty-two percent of respondents feel welcome in open source, but different groups had different perspectives overall.
- Increasing open source diversity reflects growing global adoption, but there is still much room to improve.
- Time is a top determinant for open source participation
- Exclusionary behaviors can have a cascading effect on contributors’ experience and retention.
- People’s backgrounds can impact equitable access to open source participation early in their careers, compounding representation in leadership later on. More information here:
By placing DEI principles at the forefront, you can cultivate a dynamic community that celebrates diversity, fosters equitable opportunities, and ensures that every member is heard and can actively contribute to the collective success of the community. Here are some actionable strategies and considerations to assist communities in embracing and integrating DEI principles: Clearly define DEI values to establish a shared understanding and commitment. Actively promote diverse representation across all aspects of the community, including leadership roles, events, and decision-making processes. Develop clear guidelines, such as a Code of Conduct (CoC), to foster a safe and respectful environment for all members. Provide training and educational opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of DEI issues and best practices. Celebrate diversity through events, recognition programs, and initiatives that highlight the contributions of individuals from various backgrounds. Utilize inclusive language in communications and interactions to ensure that all members feel valued and included.
(WIP)