Diversity of thought and an inclusive culture is central to achieving our vision that archaeology is seen as an attractive, rewarding and worthwhile career.
Our aims and objectives for equality, diversity and inclusion
As the leading professional body for archaeologists in the UK and overseas we are not disconnected from the issues happening in society. We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and want to be a part of the positive changes taking place. Our aim is for archaeology to be a profession that is open to everyone and for more archaeologists to want their professionalism recognised through accreditation. A larger, more diverse and inclusive profession will offer a wider range of expertise and better reflect its relevance to society. In turn it will allow us to reach and inspire a more diverse audience and to build a better profession for the future.
Archaeologists work for all the public, but we know that neither the discipline nor the profession of archaeology reflects wider society. For example, there are fewer women in senior archaeological roles than there are men, and there is less ethnic diversity and representation of people with disabilities in the profession than reflected in archaeology students. To change this, we will:
- work with partner organisations to create a more diverse discipline
- ensure that there are no barriers to professional accreditation other than skills and competencies
- work to reduce unfair obstacles to gaining the necessary skills and competencies
- aim for a profession that is at least as diverse as the discipline it draws on.
You can read more about how we want to achieve these changes in our strategy for equality, diversity and inclusion in archaeology.
To help us deliver this change, CIfA's Board of Directors has established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee within CIfA's governance structure to support the Board and to deliver at least one event per year relevant to the EDI strategy.
