Shared Sisterhood

How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work

Gender equity can't happen without racial equity. We need Shared Sisterhood.

Bias persists in organisations and society. Despite efforts that have been made in the last few decades, gender and racioethnic equity still hasn’t been achieved. What's worse, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latina women are being held back more than their White counterparts.

We need to change how we strive for equity. We must move beyond individual solutions toward collective action, where people from historically power-dominant and marginalised groups work together, so that all women experience the benefits of professional growth and equity. We need Shared Sisterhood, and anyone, regardless of gender, can join in.

Professor Tina Opie first started Shared Sisterhood as a movement to drive gender and racial equity in organisations. Since then, she and professor Beth A. Livingston have worked together to spread the word to leaders across organisations, with thousands of followers joining the cause. In this book, they explain how to use vulnerability, trust, empathy, and risk-taking to build Shared Sisterhood and break down three key parts of the process:

1. Dig into your own assumptions around racioethnicity, gender, and power

2. Bridge the divide between women of all backgrounds through authentic relationships

3. Advance all women across the organisation and beyond

Balancing a mix of history, research, and real-life examples — including the authors' own experiences — this book encourages everyone to join Shared Sisterhood and advance equity for all.

ISBN: 9781647822835 | Published: 11 October 2022 | Hardback | 240 pages