Once the badge of a progressive workplace, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has become one of the most polarising concepts in corporate life. For years, DEI shaped how companies recruited, developed and retained talent — especially in the United States, where it was rooted in the country’s reckoning with racial inequities. But today, it sits at the heart of a growing backlash.
The Great DEI Retreat in America
In Washington, President Donald Trump has declared war on DEI. On his first day of his second term, he signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programmes and Preferencing.” The order dismantled federal DEI offices and dismissed roles such as “chief diversity officer,” calling such programmes “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
The move marked a dramatic shift from the past decade, when DEI was corporate gospel. Firms like Amazon, Meta and Accenture have since followed suit, quietly rolling back diversity commitments. In February, an Accenture memo revealed the firm would be “sunsetting” its DEI goals and targeted development programmes.
A New York Times analysis this year found that only 40 per cent of companies in the S&P 500 still used the term “diversity, equity and inclusion” in their filings — a 60 per cent drop since 2024. Even Adobe, once vocal about its partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, has since softened its messaging, pledging only to build “a workforce that reflects Adobe’s global footprint.”
Europe Pushes Back
While America retreats, Europe is moving in the opposite direction. When US embassies in the European Union sent letters to major companies urging them to comply with Trump’s order, European governments bristled.
France’s equality minister Aurore Bergé called the move “foreign interference,” while Belgium’s government warned that penalising firms for promoting inclusion could breach diplomatic law.
Indeed, DEI remains enshrined in Europe’s legal DNA. The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights prohibits discrimination on any grounds, and the Pay Transparency Directive — to be enforced by 2026 — mandates employers to report gender pay gaps and disclose salary data by sex.
As Katja Toropainen, founder of Finnish DEI consultancy Inklusiiv, told Forbes: “DEI in Europe looks very different from the US. It’s less political, more about social cohesion and equal opportunity.”
The UK too is expanding its legal frameworks, with the proposed Equality (Race and Disability) Bill requiring large employers to publish their race and disability pay gaps — a natural extension of existing gender pay gap laws.
A Quieter, More Local Approach in Singapore
In Singapore, DEI has taken on a distinctly local tone — pragmatic, grounded, and quietly evolving. “There isn’t one universal DEI framework,” said Lyn Lee, former global chief DEI officer at Shell. “What we see are global frameworks adapted to fit local realities.”
Here, DEI often focuses on gender balance, disability inclusion, multigenerational collaboration and racial harmony — priorities reflecting Singapore’s own demographic makeup.
Still, the movement is young. Only one local company, Singapore Airlines, made it to the FTSE 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Index. A survey by the Singapore Business Federation found that just one in five businesses had formal DEI policies, and only 18 per cent of small and medium enterprises did.
Yet the interest is unmistakable. “Companies increasingly recognise that DEI is not a Western import but a local necessity,” said Clarence Ching, founder of non-profit Access Singapore. “Our workforce is diverse by default. Ignoring that means losing talent.”
Beyond Buzzwords
At its core, DEI has always been about three pillars: diversity (valuing differences), equity (ensuring fair outcomes), and inclusion (creating belonging). But critics — especially in the US — have reduced it to preferential treatment.
Some argue that “lifting” programmes, like women-only sponsorships, unfairly advantage minorities. But DEI experts like Edwin Seah of Include Consulting counter that such efforts aim to address decades of exclusion. “Without them, progress towards inclusion would be painfully slow,” he said.
Others, like Dr Tania Nagpaul from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, stress that DEI is not anti-meritocracy. “If done correctly, DEI corrects historical bias, improves hiring decisions and builds compassion into how we treat others,” she said.
Inclusion, Singapore-Style
In Singapore, DEI is often expressed not through slogans, but through everyday empathy.
At Maybank Singapore, visually impaired employee Cassey Koh relies on specialised software and supportive colleagues to thrive after 37 years with the company. Fellow employee Cherlyn Yeng, who has dwarfism, says inclusion is about understanding — from accessible office furniture to flexible schedules for working parents.
Similarly, HSBC has moved away from identity-based quotas, focusing instead on removing structural barriers — for instance, enabling live captions in multiple languages for online meetings.
Local consultancy TriOn & Co has redefined fairness by dropping education and salary-history requirements from job applications, while offering leave policies that cover caregiving for partners, pets, and menstrual health.
For Oliver Goh, founder of Ngee Koon and LFA Studio, inclusion simply means flexibility and respect. “DEI here is about purpose, not politics,” he said. “It’s how we innovate and sustain growth.”
Policy Support and Progress
Unlike in the US, Singapore’s DEI journey has government backing. The new Workplace Fairness Act, passed unanimously in Parliament, protects workers against discrimination based on age, nationality, sex, race and disability.
Organisations such as SG Enable continue to drive inclusion for persons with disabilities, with employment rates for such individuals rising from 28.2 per cent in 2019 to 33.6 per cent in 2024.
Hotels like Holiday Inn Singapore Little India have partnered with SG Enable to hire and support employees with disabilities, using creative tools like pictorial task lists to help them perform their jobs effectively.
Turning Awareness into Action
Despite visible momentum, DEI adoption remains uneven. A JobStreet 2025 report found that while 42 per cent of Singaporean companies have DEI programmes, a quarter have no plans to adopt any — citing a lack of mandates, ROI uncertainty, or limited know-how.
Multinationals tend to lead the charge, said Mr Seah, while SMEs see DEI as a “nice-to-have.” Cultural sensitivities, especially around LGBTQ+ inclusion, also temper enthusiasm.
Another challenge lies in Singapore’s strong meritocratic narrative, said Mr Ching: “It can make discussions on privilege uncomfortable.” Still, he’s optimistic. “Younger employees are asking harder questions about fairness and belonging.”
Experts suggest shifting from “lifting” to “levelling” — tackling systemic issues like promotion bias rather than fixing individuals.
For Kaylee Kua of Daughters of Tomorrow, the focus should also include socioeconomic inclusion. “The women we work with don’t want charity — they want opportunity,” she said.
The Road Ahead
As Singapore’s understanding of inclusion deepens, new frontiers are emerging: neurodiversity, caregiver support, and the impact of AI on equality.
For Maximillian Tan, a para-equestrian and HR executive at Cushman & Wakefield, progress is visible but incomplete. “Accessibility is better now than a few years ago, but many still don’t understand disabilities,” he said.
Ultimately, DEI’s future depends less on policy than on people. As Lyn Lee puts it, “Inclusion isn’t about pity — it’s about accessing the best talent. You don’t need to be a CEO to make a difference. Start with the five people around you.”