Organisational ethos
We have been publishing on EDI issues, and publishing authors from marginalised groups, since our inception 25 years ago in 1996. It has been a core ethos within the organisation throughout.
We believe in supporting EDI issues as it is the right thing to do. We support advocating on behalf of those from marginalised or discriminated against groups, to challenge discrimination and inappropriate behaviour where we see it and to raise awareness of EDI issues in our work and interactions.
EDI issues have been rising up the policy agenda across the globe in recent years with the development of the UN’s 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following on from the previous Millennium Development Goals adopted in 2000. There has also recently been a rise in the number of social movements, assisted by the now ubiquitous social media, from Black Lives Matter to Me Too, that are pushing organisations to adopt EDI policies, including academia and the publishing industry.
We recognise that Bristol University Press specifically, and the publishing sector generally, is lacking diversity in its workforce. This was demonstrated by the Publishing Industry Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Survey 2019. We will take steps to address this. EDI is fundamental to our business ethos and purpose and developing this formal strategy ensures EDI is prioritised in every area of the business and aligned with the wider University of Bristol’s strategy and policies.
Find out about ongoing EDI activities and updates here.