Intersectional DEI & Religion

By now intersectionality is a well established concept within diversity, equity, and inclusion work, but efforts still very much center on just a select few identities. One of the most ignored identities within DEI is religion, flying in the face of all the performative allyship that gets broadcast across social media and communication channels when a particularly outrageous instance of discrimination or violence against a marginalized religious community makes it into the mainstream news cycle. In 2023 and beyond, it is no longer acceptable to ignore religious identity in DEI work, and this talk by DEI consultant & trainer Rahimeh Ramezan will address how organizations can begin to incorporate considerations of religion into their DEI efforts.

Rahimeh Ramezany

Bridget Finkeldey

Rahimeh Ramezany is a multiethnic, neurodiverse, Muslim American woman, and a diversity, equity, inclusion, and intercultural practitioner. She founded her DEI business in 2021 in order to train organizations on how to include Muslims and religious identity in their existing DEI efforts, while developing nuanced understandings and practical DEI skills that can be applied across identity groups. Rahimeh leverages her lived experiences at the intersections of multiple marginalized and privileged identities, a master’s degree in intercultural communication, and years of professional DEI experience to address the often deeply uncomfortable but nonetheless essential work of making our spaces inclusive and equitable for all.