This text is part of the special Social Economy section
A reflection is beginning within social economy enterprises in Quebec. How can they be more inclusive of people from ethnocultural diversity? With the creation of a laboratory on the issue, companies are working together to identify the challenges to be met and implement courses of action adapted to the realities of the social economy.
Quebec has more than 11,200 collective enterprises, which employ nearly 220,000 people, according to the Social Economy Project. “These are small businesses which have a social mission, which put human beings at the center of their decisions, which always have democratic governance and which respond to the needs of communities,” observes France Émond, general director of TIESS (Innovative Territories in social and solidarity economy).
However, there is still work to be done to enable better awareness and ethnocultural representation in the recruitment and governance of these companies, note various stakeholders in the sector. To do this, the Social Economy Project launched, this year, the laboratory on the inclusion of people from ethnocultural diversity in social economy and community action (ES-AC).
Over the past few months, training workshops have been led by EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) specialists and discussion groups have met. Between now and December, participating organizations are invited to experiment with a solution for inclusion, while being supervised by EDI specialists.
“People didn’t really know where the problem was and what we could do,” explains Béatrice Alain, general director of the Chantier d’entreprises sociale. What can we do better to have people from different perspectives at the table? The goal of the lab is to make people aware of issues in society that can hinder the integration of people from ethnocultural diversity, [d’identifier] where are the barriers to hiring, leadership, progression. »
Actions for inclusion
The Récolte collective, which develops solutions for local and sustainable food practices, is one of the companies participating in this project. “We have a mission which consists of feeding everyone, but we realize that there are people who are not there to ensure that the project serves everyone,” notes Dominique Lalonde, co-director of operations. and collective development. A year ago, the collective set up an EDI committee, responsible in particular for drawing up an overview of the situation within the company, which will make it possible to target specific courses of action within the collective.
The Community Economic Development Corporation (CDEC) of Quebec, for its part, particularly stands out for its adoption of more inclusive practices in recent years. “We started by adopting an inclusive writing policy,” explains Isabelle Gilbert, general director of the CDEC of Quebec. We have adopted an EDI policy for our board of directors, with a skills matrix for example. We don’t just check off a person from diverse backgrounds, they must meet the needs of the organization. »
“At the CDEC, we have been taking small steps for several years, we were not leaders or experts in EDI,” mentions Isabelle Gilbert. It’s a posture that we must take, to have the reflex to ask ourselves if our actions make a difference for people from diverse backgrounds. As we took this step internally, we are able to transfer it. »
In fact, while carrying out projects to fight against inequalities, the organization supports collective enterprises in all stages of their development. A mission that allows their approach to shine.
The CDEC of Quebec is trying to move forward on several axes, such as work-family reconciliation, training or human capital management, explains Mme Gilbert. For example, is it possible to adapt board of directors (BoD) meetings for mothers, who probably have less availability at the end of the day? The CDEC Board of Directors now alternates its meetings in the morning, at lunchtime and at the end of the day, illustrates the director. Is it possible to provide greater flexibility in the vacation periods granted? Plane tickets may be cheaper in the fall than in the summer for people wanting to visit their family abroad, she gives as an example.
The TIESS also participates in the Chantier laboratory, and will work to synthesize diagnostic tools and create best practice guides over the next year, explains France Émond. “The ecosystem absolutely needs tools and expertise specific to the social economy,” she believes. We have inclusive companies, we think that we should succeed in meeting this challenge and that we can give ourselves the right means. »
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