Strength in Unity: Why Inclusion Still Matters and What Comes Next
Reflections from the National Diversity & Inclusion Conference 2026
A line that stayed with me
“We have to win this battle. Losing isn’t an option!”
Solat Chaudhry, CEO of the Irish Centre for Diversity, said it at a moment when diversity, equity and inclusion are facing renewed political and corporate pressure. The line stayed with me as it asks a simple question: is inclusion a value we protect only when it is easy, or a responsibility we keep when the pressure rises?
The conference theme, “Strength in Unity: Culture, Leadership & Belonging in Practice,” made the answer clear. Inclusion is not a campaign. It is a test of leadership, systems and everyday workplace behaviour. This reflection asks two questions: what is behind the backlash, and what should organisations do next?
THE BACKLASH: HOW DID WE GET HERE?
DEI did not suddenly become controversial; the context changed. Many corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes expanded after the racial justice protests of 2020. The legal and political climate then shifted sharply. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on race-conscious university admissions intensified scrutiny beyond higher education, and pressure accelerated again in January 2025 when the U.S. administration moved to dismantle federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes and discourage similar approaches elsewhere.
Companies responded differently. Some cut budgets or dedicated roles. Others changed the language while trying to preserve parts of the work. Reuters reported that Citigroup renamed its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and Talent Management team “Talent Management and Engagement”, while JPMorgan changed “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” to “Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion”.
“Companies have retreated; some have changed the name. Inclusion has to be everybody’s responsibility.”
Solat Chaudhry, in my notes from the session
Ireland is not insulated. Research reported in 2026 found that more than half of Irish businesses surveyed had scaled back DEI budgets, 43% had dissolved dedicated roles, and more than half had changed the language used in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) reporting. Yet 78% still said gender balance remained a priority.
That contradiction matters: many organisations may not have stopped believing in inclusion, but they are reconsidering how they name it, fund it and defend it.
The cost is human, not abstract!
Yemi Adenuga’s story brought the debate back to lived experience. She has spoken publicly about growing up amid gendered expectations: at 13, extended family members told her mother that ten daughters could never equal one son and predicted the girls would amount to nothing. She turned that humiliation into a promise to succeed. She later became Ireland’s first Black female elected public representative in 2019 and has since been re-elected. She has been racially abused and spat at in Navan, after years of online and offline abuse.
At the conference, she described diversity like a cake: different ingredients are not a problem to be managed; they are what make the whole possible. But they must be intentionally brought together. Her point was collective action, not symbolic representation.
Safety is part of inclusion!
The healthcare discussion made the same point in another way. John Keane, Director of HR at St Vincent’s University Hospital, spoke about inclusive workplace culture, public-service delivery and belonging. In healthcare, staff safety is inseparable from performance: people cannot give their best when they feel exposed, scapegoated or unsafe. Protecting staff and creating a conducive environment is therefore part of service quality, not an optional cultural extra.
If inclusion is owned only by a DEI team, it is easier to cut when budgets tighten. If it is embedded in leadership, recruitment, promotion, staff safety, procurement, data and performance management, it becomes part of how the organisation works. That is the harder, more durable version of inclusion.
THE OPPORTUNITY: FROM STATEMENTS TO SYSTEMS
The strongest response to the backlash is not louder slogans. It is better practice. The organisations that lead this next phase will show what inclusion changes in real terms: who gets hired, who stays, who progresses, who feels safe, who gets heard and who reaches leadership.
PTSB: a visible example of continued commitment!
PTSB, the conference’s Primary Sponsor, has maintained a sustained focus on diversity and inclusion. Its public reporting describes a DEI strategy, Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation, employee resource groups and continued attention to recruitment, retention, progression and gender representation. PTSB was also named Company of the Year at the 2026 National Diversity & Inclusion Awards. Karen Hackett, Head of People at PTSB, closed the conference. At a time when some organisations are becoming quieter, that visible commitment matters.
The better question is not “Do we have a DEI programme?” but “Can people see, feel and measure inclusion in how this organisation works?”
Edima’s perspective: networking is part of the solution
For APNI President Edima Inyang, networking is not simply exchanging contacts. It is how talent becomes visible, trust is built across sectors and good intentions turn into real opportunities.
Her conference contribution reinforced the value of cross-sector relationships: employers, public bodies, community organisations and professional networks can do more together than any one actor can do alone.
Many inclusion gaps are not caused by an absence of talent, but by weak connections between talent and opportunity. A qualified professional may not know the right employer, understand an unfamiliar recruitment system, have access to a mentor, or be visible to decision-makers. Strategic networking helps close those gaps.
Where APNI fits: connect commitment to real people
APNI is a network of more than 6,000 professionals, entrepreneurs and students of African descent in Ireland, and has facilitated more than 200 job opportunities. Our work includes Career Accelerator and mentoring programmes, employer partnerships, internships and job opportunities, professional networking, leadership development and events that bring employers and professionals into direct conversation.
For organisations, the value of working with APNI is not simply access to a “diverse audience”. It is access to real experience and a practical feedback loop. We can help employers test whether inclusion ambitions are reaching the people they intend to reach; identify barriers in recruitment, progression and belonging; connect leaders and mentors with professionals; and generate evidence about whether inclusion is working beyond the policy document.
That makes measurement more meaningful. A policy tells us what an organisation intends. A staff survey tells us what employees report. Partnership with professional networks adds another layer: are talented people outside the organisation seeing accessible pathways in? Are internationally experienced professionals able to translate their skills into Irish workplaces? Are women and other underrepresented professionals progressing once they enter?
A challenge to organisations
The backlash has created a choice. Organisations can retreat, rename and hope the issue becomes less visible. Or they can make inclusion more credible: less dependent on terminology, more connected to responsibility, relationships, evidence and outcomes.
If your organisation is asking how to attract diverse professional talent, strengthen career progression, build mentoring pathways, understand lived experience or measure whether inclusion is working in practice, APNI would welcome the conversation.
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Sources: Reuters; Associated Press; Irish Examiner; The Irish Times; PTSB DEI and responsible-business reporting; Irish Centre for Diversity 2026 award winners; APNI impact and partnership pages.
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