D&I Allyship and Champions

What is an ally?  

 DCA defines an ally as a person with privilege who works in solidarity and partnership with a marginalised group of people to help address the systemic and interpersonal marginalisation they face.

For example, for culturally and racially marginalised (CARM) women, effective allyship occurs when their concerns about gendered racism are sought out, listened to and addressed in a racially safe way.1

What is a D&I Champion? 

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) Champions play a symbolic and active strategic role in organisations. 

  • Their symbolic function is to demonstrate leadership support for diversity and inclusion by engaging in activities like attending D&I events and delivering D&I messages to stakeholder groups.  
  • They contribute to diversity strategy development and implementation by serving on diversity councils, campaigning for support from their fellow executives, and consulting with diversity leaders. 

Some organisations may have a single D&I Champion, while others may have various champions who focus on a specific area (e.g. gender) or have them as Employer Resource Group (ERG) leaders. Because of this, D&I Champions might have different role names in organisations (e.g. Equality Champions, Gender Equality Champion).  

What is the difference between an ally and a D&I champion?  

D&I Champions may be elected or appointed into a leadership position to advance a specific D&I agenda, e.g. leading an ERG or affinity group, or being an executive sponsor for a staff network.  

In contrast, “ally” isn’t a title or a self-appointed role – allyship is an ongoing process of taking action in partnership with and in support of marginalised people and communities. People do not need to be in formalised roles to be an ally.   

This difference means that while D&I Champions might also be allies, the role of D&I Champion is not one of automatic allyship. 

DCA members can log in to find out more about how to be an effective ally or D&I champion.

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  1. N. Asong Nfonoyim-Hara, Director of Diversity Programs at Mayo Clinic, cited by S-R. Dickenson in ‘What is Allyship?’, National Institutes of Health Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, 28 January 2021, accessed 7 February 2024 https://www.edi.nih.gov/blog/communities/what-allyship
  2. M. Krentz, O. Wierzba, K. Abouzahr, J. Garcia-Alonso, and F. Brooks Taplett, “Five Ways Men Can Improve Gender Diversity at Work”, The Boston Consulting Group, 10 October 2017, https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/people-organization-behavior-culture-five-ways-men-improve-gender-diversity-work
  3. B.J. Drury, and C.R. Kaiser, ‘Allies Against Sexism: The Role of Men in Confronting Sexism’, Journal of Social Issues, vol. 70, no. 4, 2014, pp. 637-652
  4. D.R. Hekman, S.K. Johnson, M-D. Foo, and W. Yang, “Does Diversity-Valuing Behavior Result in Diminished Performance Ratings for Non-White and Female Leaders?”, Academy of Management Journal, vol. 60, no.2, 2016
  5. K. Bhopal, “We can talk the talk, but we’re not allowed to walk the walk” in Higher Education, Vol. 85, 2023, p. 325-339.
  6. Diversity Council Australia (V. Mapedzahama, F. Laffernis, A. Barhoum, and J. O’Leary). Culturally and racially marginalised women in leadership: A framework for (intersectional) organisational action, Diversity Council Australia, 2023
  7. S. Arif, T. Afolabi, B. Manzor Mitrzyk, T.F. Thomas, N. Borja-Hart, L. Wade, & and B. Henson, “Engaging in Authentic Allyship as Part of Our Professional Development,” American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Vol. 86, No. 5, Article 8690, 2022, p. 377 – 381.
  8. S. Arif, T. Afolabi, B. Manzor Mitrzyk, T.F. Thomas, N. Borja-Hart, L. Wade, & B. Henson, “Engaging in Authentic Allyship as Part of Our Professional Development”.
  9. B. Bhattacharyya, S. Erskine, and C. McCluney, “Not all allies are created equal: An intersectional examination of relational allyship for women of color at work” in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Vol. 182, 2024, p. 1.
  10. S. Wiley, J. Won Park, and N. Catalina, “Women evaluate ally men less positively and are less willing to work with them for gender equality when men deny their male privilege”, Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 561-582.