It's okay to say 'no' to a seat at the table

This is a story about trusting your gut.?

I was recently asked to judge a Canadian women's awards program. But after a call with the other judges and the facilitator, I had an uneasy feeling about it.?

The tea:

I was asked?last minute to review the applicants and hop on a call with the other judges, with the intention of selecting?the award recipients on that 1-hour call.?I didn't have any context as to what the award categories were, the rubric was hastily put together, and a lot of red flags came up for me.?

The red flags:?

• Last minute request?with little to no context?
• Sloppy judging rubric with very subjective language?
• Facilitator asked if the judges 'heard things about any?of the applicants', which?demonstrates implicit bias to talk about 'who we know' as a starting point
• No efforts were made to diversify applicants and nominees. No thoughtful outreach to marginalized communities
• Half of the judges were Asian women, representing different?notable organizations that support women in business, but we were missing Indigenous, Black, and other women of colour around the table.?
• The one returning judge from previous years (who is not a woman of colour) was helpful in providing context, but I was disappointed to see that even with this knowledge, she did not realize how she plays a role in perpetuating the inequities in how the whole program was being facilitated. I expected more, considering she is also a leader of a prominent womens-focused organization.?This is an example of how white feminism is still the predominant narrative.
• A judge from previous years had warned me that the selection process was inequitable. I heeded her advice and wanted to see for myself anyway. She was right.

Hot takes:

Awards programs serve as marketing and advertising opportunities. They are mutually beneficial for the facilitators, sponsors, recipients, etc, and even I have benefitted from this type of recognition.

There is a better way to do it. If we are asking women to apply for or be nominated for their work without equitable processes and outcomes, then we are no further along in our journey in diversity, equity and inclusion.?

The resolution:

I informed the facilitator that I would no longer be able to participate in the judging because I saw it as an inequitable experience and I didn't want to be associated with that. I also offered suggestions on how to make it better for future years and how I could help with this if given enough lead time.?

The takeaway:

For some of us, we're finally being invited to the table and it can be hard to refuse a seat, especially if we feel like we are representing an under-represented community. But if the table doesn't have the right people around it, with the right systems in place that align with our values, then it isn't the table for us.?

Call to action:

If you are in a position of power or influence, use that to create more equitable workplaces and industries beyond your own workplace. Open up opportunities for others to shine and rise.?

This can include ensuring that there is a diverse group of people around the table not just in the decision-making phase, but also in the conception phase. Consider who is NOT at that table and how you can invite them, advocate for them, or even give them your own seat.

It's still International Women's Month, so let's continue to uplift women.?

Here's Cold Tea Collective 's 2023 list of Asian Women to Watch.

(And for context, this list was curated by myself and my team to highlight the work of Asian women from diverse sets of lived experience and expertise. We choose not to turn this into an application process for the reasons stated above, but we also know that there are so many Asian women doing incredible work that goes unrecognized. If you know any women with inspiring stories, encourage them to pitch us a story at Cold Tea Collective.