CALD Survey Report - Improving APS cultural diversity and inclusion
We have collated the insights and lived experience of nearly 200 CALD Network members from 38 APS agencies via our online survey to share with the APSC taskforce for the development of the APS CALD Employment Strategy.
We asked members whether they perceived barriers in the APS based on their CALD status, the nature of any existing barriers, actions to address barriers and members’ experience of discrimination or racism in the workplace.
Our survey findings indicate that bias and discrimination are evident in APS workplaces. 37.6% of total respondents said they experienced barriers in APS career and development. A further breakdown of data reveals that 40.2% of respondents of non-European background said they experienced barriers compared to 33.3% of respondents of European background.
Members have said that barriers are often implicit, unconscious and/or subtle but some respondents have shared witnessing and/or experiencing exclusionary and racist behaviours. Some members also highlight the issue of intersectional discrimination which further impacts their experience of systemic discrimination such as barriers faced by women from culturally and racially diverse backgrounds or persons of culturally diverse background with disability.
