Only By Our Actions Will We Make WE ARE ALL EQUAL a Reality

Triggered by tragedy and momentum behind the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I reminded that the simple statement of ‘We are all equal’ remains a societal aspiration for many.

Sadly, today, we cannot own this most basic of claims.  Here in the UK, we view our society and communities – on the whole – as fortunate and progressive.  Yet equality, for some of the most basic discriminating factors (race, colour, gender, ability) is still to be realised.

What I’ve learned

One of the biggest learnings I’ve taken from recent events is that if you don’t do anything, you are effectively endorsing the continuation of the current status quo. An absence of action can only help to fuel inequality.

My personal reaction to recent events was positive and quick: to encourage the conversations, ‘like’ and ‘share’ the compelling posts calling for change, ‘blackout’ my Instagram, etc.. Admittedly, they are not significant steps in themselves, but they are positive actions that I can commit to and build on.

However, my Army of Nannies reaction was more measured.  I paused, but it was with good reason.

How do you meaningfully engage as a brand?

Initially, I reflected on the thought that brands shouldn’t get political.  Or rather, I dislike it when brands bandwagon political issues.  As a member of the LGBT community, I see it all the time in the casting of adverts.

All too often, this is a box-ticking exercise and a shallow version of diversity. It’s representation by visual mix rather than respecting and embracing any cultural or attitudinal differences.

However, I acknowledge that by seeing diversity in things like ads we begin to normalise difference. But is just ‘seeing’ enough?

So, when it came to Army of Nannies, I paused, so as to not jump on the bandwagon. But to build a response that will contribute to a real and sustainable difference, and one that we can build on.

Army of Nannies: Working to ‘We are all equal’

Inspired by global events, we have to look to our own worlds and work out how we can all act to make a difference. We must turn positive thoughts and words into actions.

In that spirit, here are five principles we will adhere to:

From launch, will make every effort to deliver inclusivity and equality. We will embody ‘we are all equal’ in everything we do.

Everyone is welcome, but this is our initial focus.

Our blog and social spaces will be platforms for our communities to express themselves. We will actively invite and encourage contributions and collaborations that offer an alternative or under-represented point of view.

Already, we are having conversations with nannies who have smashed the traditional moulds and they are inspirational.  If we can provide a space where other aspiring ‘mould-breakers’ can connect and share ideas, we will all win.

We haven’t got all the answers, but together we can find the questions. Then, with our best efforts, we will find the answers and commit to turning words and thoughts into actions.

We invite you to help us get this going by joining are Facebook group. Help us get the conversation going.

Furthermore, we will publish 6-monthly reports on how we are living by these principles.  And we will appoint a team of ‘mould-breakers’ to judge what we’ve done and encourage us to do better and to do more.

Is that a good start?

Please, tell us what you think.

We are new and just getting to grips with the industry and its strengths and weaknesses. But we are open and can’t stress enough the importance of engaging with ALL nannies and families within the industry.

We do hope that small efforts like this can contribute to the changes required to stop the same things happening again and again. 

We are all equal.
Let’s act to make it real.

Please help us live up to our five principles. In doing so, you’ll contribute to making sure ‘we are all equal’ is a reality within the nanny industry.

My email is matt@armyofnannies.com

I look forward to hearing from you and perhaps working with you? And hopefully, you can join the conversation on our social spaces.

#StrongerTogether #WeAreAllEqual