Shared sisterhood : how to take collective action for racial and gender equity at work

Gender equity can't happen without racial equity. We need Shared Sisterhood. Bias persists in organizations and society. Despite efforts that have been made in the last few decades, gender and racioethnic equity still hasn't been achieved. What's worse, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latina women are being held back more than their White counterparts. We need to change how we strive for equity. We must move beyond individual solutions toward collective action, where people from historically power-dominant and marginalized groups work together, so that all women experience the benefits of professional growth and equity. We need Shared Sisterhood, and anyone, regardless of gender, can join in. Professor Tina Opie first started Shared Sisterhood as a movement to drive gender and racial equity in organizations. Since then, she and professor Beth A. Livingston have worked together to spread the word to leaders across organizations, with thousands of followers joining the cause. In this book, they explain how to use vulnerability, trust, empathy, and risk-taking to build Shared Sisterhood and break down three key parts of the process: Dig into your own assumptions around racioethnicity, gender, and power Bridge the divide between women of all backgrounds through authentic relationships Advance all women across the organization and beyond Balancing a mix of history, research, and real-life examples—including the authors' own experiences—this book encourages everyone to join Shared Sisterhood and advance equity for all. "Gender and racial bias persist in organizations and in society. And though strides have been made toward equity in the last few decades, it still has not been reached. Even more disconcerting, Black women and other women of color are being held back more than their White counterparts. Most advice for women encourages individuals to speak up, be assertive, or lean in-to assimilate into a system modeled after White men. But individual action is not enough. We need collective action, where marginalized individuals work together, so all women experience the benefits of professional growth and equality. We need Shared Sisterhood, and anyone, regardless of gender, can join in. In this book, Tina Opie and Beth A. Livingston explain how to build this crucial alliance through vulnerability, trust, empathy, and risk-taking, so that all women can advance in the workplace and create systemic change. Drawing from their research program of the same name, they break down three key parts of the process: (1) Dig into your own assumptions around racioethnicity, gender, and power; (2) bridge the divide between women of all racioethnic groups through authentic relationships; and (3) advance all women across the organization and beyond. Balancing a mix of history, research, and real-life examples, this book encourages everyone to be a part of the sisterhood and push for gender equity that is equal for all"-- Provided by publisher Shared Sisterhood to Dismantle Inequities -- Sisterhood Across Different Levels -- Digging into Dig -- Bridging Across Differences -- Collective Action -- Roadblocks to Shared Sisterhood -- Calls to Action