Deepening diversity, equity and inclusion in SA legal industry

Genesis has been instrumental in the growth of the South African General Counsel for Diversity and Inclusion (SA GC for D&C) and its efforts to transform the legal sector, an achievement that has seen our partnership extended until December 2025.

Contracted in 2022, Genesis has been pivotal in driving the momentum of the initiative, facilitating its launch, and expanding its reach by adding new member corporates, law firms and other organisations.

The SA GC for D&C was initiated at the end of 2019 by Anglo American and co-founders Absa, FirstRand Bank, the Industrial Development Corporation, Sasol, Standard Bank, Total and Unilever. The initiative is rooted in the belief that diversity enriches the work environment and adds value to the legal profession and society. With this in mind, the initiative encourages collaboration between South African corporates and the legal profession.

Genesis was initially brought on board to assist with programme management of the initiative. The focus was on maintaining momentum, launching the initiative, and bringing in new member corporates, partner law firms and other organisations.

This initial engagement was extended in mid-2023 to run until June 2024. Our work, in partnership with subcontractors Flow Communications, has yielded significant results. These include a launch event and an increase in participating organisations from the original eight founders to 58 member and partner organisations (engaging a total of 277 individuals in various capacities). In addition, it has seen the delivery of:

• A distinct brand identity.
• Ongoing programme management office functions, including a comprehensive programme management plan.

• The publication of five diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) toolkits, addressing topics from engagement principles for DEI to bias mitigation in the corporate context.
• Continuous facilitation of working group discussions targeting crucial and relevant DEI issues, such as “Talent management for DEI purposes”, “Gender identity and sense of belonging” and “Neurodiversity in the legal sector”.
• Social media and communication strategy and engagement, including the launch of the initiative’s official website.

To learn more about the initiative, please visit https://www.sagcdi.co.za