Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy @ DW

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

The history of diversity is a political one and has its origins in the US civil rights movements of the 1960s. The introduction of hiring quotas for Black US citizens or anonymized application procedures followed. In the 1990s, diversity arrived in Europe as a business idea. The strategy for dealing with diversity in organizations is called diversity management. Initially, the focus was on equality for women. Nowadays, diversity, equity and inclusion are considered holistically:

Diversity is DW’s greatest strength. It is about recognizing and appreciating the differences and similarities of our employees. The diversity of our workforce with its different skills, talents, and cultural backgrounds opens up opportunities for innovative and creative processes and products. It is also personally enriching for everyone. 

Equityhas always been one of the most important socio-political tasks for DW's corporate culture. By breaking down structural barriers and employing targeted measures, DW consciously contributes to strengthening the equality of underrepresented groups.   

Inclusion reflects the extent to which DW fosters a corporate culture in which all employees, regardless of their personality traits, feel welcome, respected and belonging. Breaking down traditional thinking and social norms, especially with regard to people with disabilities, visible and invisible, promoting tolerance and raising awareness are integral to creating a fairer and more sustainable working atmosphere. As an employer, DW therefore promotes an environment in which employees are actively invited to help shape cultural change. This leads to more creativity, innovation, and ultimately, better and more economically effective decisions.

The core dimensions of diversity 

The AGG (General Equal Treatment Act) defines discrimination on the grounds of six core dimensions. These include discrimination on racial or antisemitic grounds or on the grounds of ethnic origin, gender or gender identity, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. Charta der Vielfalt (‘Diversity Charter’) has included social origin as an additional diversity dimension. At DW, we therefore refer to a total of seven core dimensions of diversity. In addition, we have identified and prioritized other diversity dimensions relevant to the DW context, namely East and West Germany, Global North and Global South, and Neurodiversity. 

Our approach: holistic, intersectional and collaborative 

We pursue an intersectional approach that also considers the interrelationships between individual dimensions and their contexts. This is why we work closely with the Anti-Discrimination Officer, the Equal Opportunities Officer, the Inclusion Officer and the Disability Representatives as well as other representative bodies. 

Our work 

We take a holistic approach to further embed DEI as a cross-cutting issue in as many areas and levels as possible. We have therefore identified three strategic fields of action: People, Processes, Products. Our triad is therefore: We are diverse - we work in a diverse manner - our products are diverse. 

People: People from over 140 nations work at Deutsche Welle.Our programs are broadcast in 32 languages. We are active at 13 locations worldwide - we are diverse!

The aim is to become even more aware of the diversity of the workforce and to promote diversity-oriented HR management. This involves supporting employees who belong to underrepresented groups through targeted measures and providing them with needs-based offers. 

Processes: Deutsche Welle lives an inclusive corporate culture. Respect, belonging and shared responsibility lead to creativity, innovation and better decisions - we work in a diverse manner! 

An inclusive corporate culture is promoted with measures on all diversity dimensions anchored in the AGG Act. These are open to all DW employees and are communicated internally and externally to the public. 

Products: Deutsche Welle's content reflects the diversity of our target groups and thrives on the different skills, talents and cultural perspectives of our employees - our products are diverse!   

In this way, the diversity of perspectives in DW products and projects are promoted and made more visible. 

Our company-wide DEI strategy 2024-2025

DW has set itself the corporate goal of shaping a diverse and digital corporate culture. The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) department is helping to drive this change forward - at all levels of the company.

The development, implementation and evaluation of our company-wide DEI strategy is a joint task. It can only be achieved together with those who work hard for Deutsche Welle every day. 

Joint work in the Diversity Working Group 

In the cross-directorate Diversity Working Group, the mandated diversity officers work together to advance DEI processes, projects and topics throughout the company, to coordinate their efforts and ultimately to further anchor DEI as a cross-cutting issue within the company. They are also responsible in the directorates for developing and implementing the internal DEI targets for each directorate. 

Our priorities for 2024-25:

• Anchor AI-supported diversity monitoring in the program
• Establish reporting on the impact of DEI measures
• See the first results of the focus group on racism
• Hold an Innoklusio exhibition at the DW location in Bonn
• Promote accessibility of internal documents (Office 365 Suite) 

Further DEI measures:

• Awareness-raising measures: Diversity Day, Mindspiration Days, new formats on various topics
• Communication hub: The DEI department brings together DEI-relevant information and communicates it in-house. Through the new DEI Circle format, we want to reach more employees and make the change process more inclusive
• Managers: advising and supporting decision-makers