Pride in Practice: 3 Ways Wavo Is Committed to Diversity, Inclusion and Social Empowerment All Year Round
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By: D Baescu, Wavo Media Analyst and Communications Coordinator & Chairperson of the Diversity, Inclusion and Social Action Committee.
In reviewing the practices of Wavo’s Diversity, Inclusion and Social Action Committee (DISA), three key themes emerged. Keep reading to learn how Wavo commits to diversity, inclusion and social empowerment all year round—internally, externally, and in support of our communities.
1. Internally
At Wavo, company-wide respect and belonging are an integral part of our company culture. By prioritizing the needs and perspectives of our employees experiencing various degrees of marginalization(s), we aim to commit to diversity as a fundamental strength of how we operate.
LGBTQ2S+ employees are given the space and autonomy to decide how private they want to keep these parts of themselves within the workplace and are supported by every level of company policy, management, and culture in manifesting how they want these dynamics to be upheld.
At the focal point of our internal support resources is the DISA Media Club. The DISA Media Club is an employee-led resource group that hosts weekly company-wide meetings inviting open discussion around how current events and diversity/inclusion relate to our industries, social networks, and lived realities both within and outside of the workplace.
By holding space each week for employees to come together and share their perspectives and experiences in the DISA Media Club, we aim to facilitate peer-to-peer support, expand employee social awareness, and nurture mutual respect through education and understanding
Here are some of the topics that have been previously discussed during the DISA Media Club:
Gender within the workplace and the importance of hiring trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals within high-level positions of a company.
The benefits of remote working and the micro-policing of bodies/behaviours within ‘professional’ spaces.
The escalating gentrification of Montreal and how that impacts marginalized communities the most.
“By holding space each week for employees to come together and share their perspectives and experiences in the DISA Media Club, we aim to facilitate peer-to-peer support, expand employee social awareness, and nurture mutual respect through education and understanding”
2. Externally
While social awareness and representation are crucial first steps towards community empowerment and political empowerment, companies cannot stop here if they want to create meaningful infrastructural change.
Wavo takes bolder action through consistent and practical social support for LGBTQ2S+ individuals both within and outside of our company—all year round.
The DISA Community Outreach and Social Action Committee expands on the Media Club by connecting our internal operations to external communities, which creates mutually supportive networks of resource and knowledge sharing.
This connection builds a symbiotic relationship intended to empower both our employees' lives and their surrounding communities who might be interested in learning more about the music industry and what Wavo does.
One way Wavo develops these support networks is a quarterly speaker panel hosted by the DISA Community Outreach and Social Action Committee. These panels are rotating themed discussions intended to create space for music industry professionals, artists, and activists to share their knowledge and resources with youth experiencing marginalization(s) and individuals with limitations or barriers to access this information.
By uplifting LGBTQ2S+ perspectives among our speaker selections, these panels are completely free digital conversations intended to boost accessibility around music industry knowledge and participation.
Monetizing Your Music: Sourcing Revenue Streams and Leveraging Your Story Panel
DIY: Branding Strategies for Developing Artists Panel
3. In Support of Our Communities
Wavo is committed to developing consistent and long-lasting relationships with multiple Montreal-based social initiatives/organizations.
We display this continuous commitment to communities facing various degrees of marginalization by donating year-round to organizations such as Head and Hands, a Montreal-based nonprofit dedicated to youth health and empowerment.
Head and Hands supports LGBTQ2S+ youth through harm-reduction, non-judgment, and holistic care across a wide range of potential barriers/marginalization(s). Some of their programs include legal support, harm reduction around drug usage/safer-sex practices, on-the-ground street work, and music programs that give youth space and resources to be creative.