I recently attended a free International Development event that was open to the public with my fellow peers and even though we were not technically excluded from attending this event as soon as we entered the room we noticed how excluded and unwelcome we felt because we didn’t look like the other individuals in the room, we were different. One of my colleagues noted that the room was filled with both white females and males who were of a “higher” social status, which is ironic considering that the pictures displayed on the wall were showcasing different stories, stories about resilient women of colour in developing countries, pictures that were meant to make you feel inspired but instead we were left feeling discouraged. Noticing these things helped me open my eyes to the issue of inclusiveness in the field of International Development, which brought me to ask this question: Is the field of International Development actually as inclusive as we think it is?

During my time at Centennial College enrolled in the post-graduate International Development program, my peers and I learned about themes of equality and non-discrimination and we were under the assumption that international development in all of its’ aspects is supposed to be inclusive of all people regardless of their gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, colour, creed, status, age and disability. Although this is theoretically embedded within organizations as often times when I am applying to jobs in the context of Ontario, I come across a non-discrimination disclosure as it aligns with both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Ontario Human Rights Code. In fact, by further examining both of these crucial pieces of law, it can be seen that under the equality rights section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, clause 15 states that “every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability”. It can also be seen that the Ontario Human Rights Commission has stated that when it comes to matters of employment in particular, the Ontario Human Rights Code states that “every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to employment without discrimination or harassment because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability”. “The right to equal treatment with respect to employment covers every aspect of the workplace environment and employment relationship, including job applications, recruitment, training, etc..”.

The question here however is, are these laws actually being applied in reality? To delve deeper into this issue with regards to the field of International Development, I decided to look at the some of the top 100 non-profit organizations/registered charities (derived from a 2018 report by the Globe and Mail) in Canada to see who is employed at these organizations particularly those who are in higher positions and are in charge of hiring new employees. I glanced at the list of the board of directors on each of these organizations’ websites and I noticed some concerning patterns. The biggest NGO in Canada, World Vision Canada has 6 individuals that appear to be Caucasian based on their names and the colour of their skin, while the rest of the 4 individuals on the board of directors are people of colour and do not have “typical” white names. Looking at some other popular NGOs in Canada, 100% of the board of directors (12 out of 12 individuals) at Plan International Canada appear to be racially and ethnically white. At the Canadian Red Cross Society, 12 out of the 16 members on the board of directors appear to be Caucasian and 15 out of the 21 employees on the board of directors at Canada Helps appear to be Caucasian as well. As we can see, in each of these cases, more than half of the employees/members that are placed in higher positions at these organizations are white males or females which is problematic because these individuals are in charge of hiring new employees and if people tend to hire those that look like them or have similar ethnic/racial qualities as them, then how will people of colour ever be hired by these individuals?

As a recent graduate, I myself have been applying to many jobs, some of which are in the field of International Development. If you look at my name, which is actually of Middle Eastern origin and my last name which is of South Asian origin, it is different, it is not a name that you typically see printed on a keychain or a necklace at a gift shop but just because I have a different name that does not make me any less of a Canadian or even a human being that should be denied of any opportunities. And yet because of my name I have not received even a single interview despite my abundance of qualifications and skills that I have to make an excellent employee, I am often overlooked by employers. If employers continue down this path, especially in 2020 when organizations need more diverse perspectives to solve increasingly diverse global issues, then the world will never move forward.
It is discouraging to see that the white saviour complex is still being portrayed in this field especially when the people that are suffering globally are often people of colour who have the capability to resolve their own issues but are not given the ability to do so.

*Note: If you are interested in this issue, for further reading check out this opinion article on Devex https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-who-gets-to-be-part-of-development-s-exclusive-club- 92296*