CDA Statement on Diversity & Inclusion
We are witnessing a time in our history that will hopefully result in meaningful changes. Protests against racial injustices have been occurring across the world. In Canada we are not immune to discrimination based on colour of skin. At the Canadian Dermatology Association, we support diversity and equality for all. We add our voices to the call for safety, healthy equity and equality of opportunity regardless of race or ethnicity.
As Dermatologists, we see you. Your skin matters.
- We will educate ourselves to be a part of the solution. Just as continuing medical education is a lifelong pursuit, taking the time to understand issues affecting those of different backgrounds is crucial to our development.
- We commit to promoting diverse representation among committee membership and senior leadership in medical organizations. We recognize that by seeking individuals from varied backgrounds and ethnic groups, we will be able to endorse more reflective and representative organizational policies.
- We can help amplify the voice of our colleagues and societies with positive messaging on skin of colour. We will encourage our members and colleagues to include a diversity of skin types when we lecture and teach our medical colleagues and when we produce official CDA communications.
June 2020
CDA Status Update- February 2021
Here is what we have done so far…
The CDA Board of Directors is committed to further its understanding of issues affecting those of different backgrounds and lived experience.
Mandatory Training:
The Board has identified quality educational courses and members will complete unconscious bias training in the next several months.
We are actively promoting diverse representation among committee membership and senior leadership in our Association.
Implementing a Proactive Involvement Plan:
The CDA’s new nominations sub-committee has begun to implement an involvement plan that seeks out those members who may not see themselves as part of the CDA.
- Outreach is happening using both formal and informal networks to talk about including all members as part of our medical specialty association.
- Communications have become clearer and more direct to encourage all to become involved.
- Barriers and Obstacles that might be in the way of full and equal participation are being identified and removed.
We can use our power and position to amplify the voice of our colleagues and societies with positive messaging on skin of colour.
Implementing Education and Communication:
The CDA is committed to creating new educational offerings that focus on skin of colour and promoting skin of colour in all print and media efforts of the CDA.
- CDA Skin of Colour Series We are designing a comprehensive series for CDA members on the biology of diverse skin types. Focus will be placed on understanding all aspects of skin color and issues specific to darker skin tones.
- Communications are featuring members of diversity, with a concentrated effort to use real images of real CDA certified members wherever possible.
- Advocacy As part of on-going environmental scanning efforts, the CDA will proactively identify and respond to any policy initiative, review or consultation that helps achieve diversity and inclusion for all CDA member dermatologists and their practice.
And we are nowhere near done…
The CDA will continue to move towards being an Association that every member feels welcome, sees themselves as being a part of; and a medical specialty association that values the contributions, perspectives and lived experience of all.