Stephen Dunbar-Johnson’s Post

I have thoughts. So. Many. Thoughts. Not all are LinkedIn appropriate. OK, here goes... As an #EquityDiversityInclusion consultant so much of what I see and experience in the world I relate back to my work and my reason for doing this work. Case in point: Nike's just announced uniforms for the US Olympic Team. 1. Remember America Ferrara's now famous monologue from Barbie about how impossible it is to be a woman? This came to mind looking at the track uniforms: Men: You can be an athlete. Women: You can be an athlete. AND you have to be sexy doing it. (the double standards and sexualization of women remain) 2. "Nothing for me without me." This is a mantra that comes from the community living movement. It means, don't design something for someone if you are not part of that group WITHOUT CONSULTING AND INCLUDING THEM. My question to Nike: were women athletes involved in the design of these "uniforms" (OK, let's just call it what it is: a bathing suit). Kudos to the women athletes and the male #Allies who speak up to say this is not OK. It's not always easy to go against the grain but it's so important. P.S. #UnconsciousBias mitigation tip: in meetings at work, look around and ask "who isn't at this table who should be?" #Allyship #GenderEquity #WorkplaceCulture Leda HR Annika Lofstrand Lindsay Bissett Elisabeth Cooke https://lnkd.in/gACRSw3b

The debate over Nike's revealing track uniform for the Summer Olympics in Paris highlights, for some, a pervasive issue: the objectification of female athletes, with claims that it isn't just about clothing—it's about power dynamics and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes. For others, it's no big deal, especially when Nike offers multiple styles and combinations for women athletes to choose from. No matter which side of the fence you sit on, I'm proud that we are having a conversation that forces brands and individuals to interrogate their thinking and decision-making and all the implications. When it comes to dismantling patriarchy, we must constantly interrogate our thinking. This means challenging our own biases, assumptions and ingrained societal norms. Breaking free from patriarchal structures requires deep introspection and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. When we examine and deconstruct our beliefs, continuous self-reflection and growth are part of our journey toward liberation. As a DEI practitioner, it's good to see that people are not afraid to challenge the norms to help create spaces where all athletes are respected for their talent, not their appearance. Share your thoughts in the comments. #BreakThePatriarchy #SportsEquality #DEI #ChallengeYourThinking ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Here’s how you can make sure we stay in touch! 🛎️ Ring the bell icon on my profile to never miss my content 📚Order my latest book, Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI, published by Forbes Books ↗️Follow my business page Nika White Consulting #️⃣ Follow my hashtags: #InclusionUncomplicated #NikaWhiteSpeaks #IntentionalInclusionist #SimplifyDEI #IntentionalConversations #UnravelTheKnot 🙌🏾 Like, comment, and share this post 🗞️Subscribe to my LinkedIn Newsletter, Inclusion Insider 📝 Take any of my 3 LinkedIn Learning courses 🎤 Hire me to be a keynote speaker at your next event or to facilitate an impactful learning experience at your organization.

Last week I praised Charlotte Tilbury and the F1 Academy for their collab. But here is where I think it fell short of making a real impact in Motorsport… Anyone who has followed me for a while knows I am very passionate about female representation in motorsport. And to be clear, this collaboration was a great step in the right direction. But then I saw the car And I thought...really?  This is so cliche. This is not how I see female brands in motorsport. This is not how most grown females see themselves. This is not how I see the Charlotte Tilbury brand either. I am a Tilbury fan, I love her products and what she has done as an entrepreneur. Does the way they branded the F1 Academy car resonate with me? No. Is this the way women in motorsport see female brands investing? Not sure. The truth is… Women watch motorsport Women work in motorsport Women buy into motorsport But a racing helmet and a car covered in lipsticks? I think they tripped in the banal "girly" image of beauty while there was an opportunity to be more disruptive and better executed. Motorsport, and F1 in particular, is: - highly technological - the peak of performance - luxury and glamour - exclusiveness  - the pinnacle of motorsport .... A well placed logo and a sleek, small touch of fun somewhere on the car... in a polished, glamorous, unconventional way...would have been great. And would have been more powerful. This idea that what is female beauty related has to be pink, barbie-ish.  It shouted "futile"... I get why F1 male fans are worried to see female brands joining. How I would do it? I would treat a female brand in the same way I treat any other brand. I would go for the F1 and F1 Academy. Both of them, with: - Strategic and clever logo placement - Creation of contents for story telling - Disruptive promotional activities - Cool and diverse brand ambassadors - Creative activations - Special edition kit And much more... I've got them all. So again... I'm calling to you female brands (beauty, fashion, whatever). Do it. But do it better. There is huge untapped potential of women in motorsport... Let's go and get them in a non stereotypical way.

With the start of the Women's World Cup, I'm making this announcement a week sooner than I planned. Next Friday marks my last day at Accenture, a place I've considered my learning and professional playground for 4.5 years. I worked with the most phenomenal people solving cool problems. I'm leaving with the utmost gratitude for them. They have challenged me to be twice as good, no matter what. For the last two years, I've been building SPRHRA at nights and on weekends, from my childhood bedroom. SPRHRA is a women's sports apparel company, inspired by my book, "Becoming a Superhero." Our mission is to give female athletes the Freedom to Perform. I created SPRHRA for 2 reasons: 1. Female athletes' performance is hindered by current sports apparel. We are given two options: hyper-sexualized, thin apparel that falls apart or men's sports apparel. We cut, rip, re-sew, stretch out, just so we can move. No one should have to worry more about adjusting their shorts than making a pass. 2. Sports apparel negatively impacted my health. I struggled with depression and eating disorders for 8 years. I almost lost my soccer scholarship to Georgetown University because of it. My sports apparel reinforced the restriction I placed on myself. I didn't fit the clothes; I didn't look like the women in the campaigns; I didn't fit the sport. But I was an All-American, so how could that be true? Over 75% of female college athletes struggle with body dysmorphia and eating disorders (that's only what's reported). On top of this, current sports apparel is a breeding ground for bacteria. Over 70% of athletes report infections from sports clothing. SPRHRA's Differentiated Offering: Create high-performance sports apparel with precision, to elevate female athletes' performance and health. This way, Female Athletes can have the Freedom to Perform. When you play with freedom, you elevate yourself and those around you. You lead like a SPRHRA. When you lead like a SPRHRA, you do big things. You work through your depression, no matter how much it hurts or how lonely it is. You lead an unranked team to #3 in the country. We produce in DTLA, with partners committed to advancing women's sports. In the next two months, we're launching with one of the most advanced performance fabrics on the market, that's 99% anti-bacterial. Our product is informed by over 150+ female athletes. I can't wait to share this SPRHRA journey with you. If you'd like to be apart of it, please message me.  SPRHRA (Su·per·he·ra), n., what you call a female athlete who uses her superpowers to elevate the lives of others. The "a" was the vowel worth keeping. www.sprhra.com #team #sports #athletics #apparelindustry #womensworldcup

Any brand neglecting marketing efforts towards the 25 - 50 year old women is really missing the mark. A straightforward solution? Invest in women athletes. #Brands should use this opportunity to establish direct connections with female audiences by forming #partnerships in women's sports. Looking forward to watching the continued growth in this space! WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Women's Premier Soccer League Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) WTA NCAA #womensports #womenathletes #womenentrepreneurs

No-one wants to see anyone’s hoo hah surely?🫣 What am I referring to? A comment made by Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American athlete who on seeing one version of the Nike USA track kit for women (which resembled a high cut swim suit) reacted with equal parts humor and horror, commenting: “Wait my hoo haa is gonna be out.” 😱 Now here’s the thing. Many people, mainly women, lost their s***. Calling is sexist and designed by the patriarchy. 🧍♂️ Having looked at it, at first glance I am inclined to agree with the view it doesn’t seem…um…practical shall we say for any sport (camel toe anyone?? 😬🐫) but… and here’s the thing. Women are allowed to CHOOSE. I know! Shock horror!! 😮 Does anyone think Nike would have produced the kit for the USA team (which includes a range of options from shorts to leotard for ALL athletes) without consultation? So someone, who identifies as a woman, probably, most likely, approved of the outfit therefore making it an option. Don’t get me wrong, if it was the only option for women and no other choice was given, them nah… that can’t work. But, as pole vaulter Katie Moon says.. “We (women) have at least 20 different combinations” of uniforms to compete in and the men’s designs are available to us too so skin-baring clothing isn’t the only option offered to female athletes.” She goes on to say “Calling it ‘sexist’ is ultimately attacking our decision as women to wear it.” In a day and age where we a fighting to give everyone choices over what they wear, how they identify and the freedom of self expression, surely it’s time we stop reacting in this way to news like this? Thoughts? 🤔 #sportswomen #Athletics #Equityinsport #Genderequity https://lnkd.in/eDa5D3zE

IDA Sports, a female-centric sports apparel company from Melbourne, has launched a new shoe line designed to reduce injuries among female Football (Soccer) players.   The increased injury risk among professional female athletes is well documented, with females up to eight times more likely to suffer injuries like ACL tears than males - Australia’s own Sam Kerr a recent victim.   The new line uses cutting edge technology to increase stability and add greater heel lockdown to provide increased traction on various playing surfaces. A custom stud configuration has been developed to optimise traction specifically for female biomechanics, contributing to reduced injury risk for female athletes.   This innovation has potential to positively impact the growth of women’s Football, and women’s sport more broadly. If elite athletes can remain injury free, the on-field product will continue to grow, with more games, greater sponsorship, and broadcast dollars, which drives increases in fandom, and the cycle continues. Sign up to the Gemba 3Peat newsletter to keep up-to-date with all things sport and entertainment. Link in comments #Gemba3Peat

Why Nike's new Olympic track uniform for women is stirring controversy 🤔💭 What are your thoughts on this news? How do you think it will impact our community? Share your opinions in the comments below! 💬👇 👍 Enjoyed this update? Follow "American News Wire" for more breaking news and insightful analysis! #AmericanNewsWire #USNews #BreakingNews #America #USPolitics #CurrentEvents #Election2024 #News #USA #Politics #NewsFlash #Economics #Future #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #bankingindustry #sustainability #education #money

“Women’s kits should be in service to performance, mentally and physically. If this outfit was truly beneficial to physical performance, men would wear it,” Lauren Fleshman As if we need more objectification and sexualization of women's bodies in sport. The release of the USA track and field attire is a poor move by Nike. This 'costume' is incredibly revealing, especially around the pubic area, which is highly inappropriate for a female to compete in. It is clear, the 'costume' was designed based off patriarchal forces and the objectification of bodies, that are not welcome to gain attention to women in sport. There have been thousands of comments to Nike, rejecting this design for female athletes. It has caused uproar and rightly so. However, few athletes supported the design. One stating "The point is we DO have the choice of what to wear, and whether we feel the best in a potato sack or a bathing suit during competitions, we should support the autonomy,” However, I do not think female athletes have the opportunity to even possess this autonomy in a safe way anymore, because we live in a world where the female body is consistently sexualized, viewed as an object to be judged or admired, and there are truly sick people out there who use this to their advantage, which is out of an athletes' control whether they like that or not. https://lnkd.in/gcZHVn-Z