Equity, Diversity & Inclusion


Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement


International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) founding values are freedom, participation, equality, human dignity. Through our Statutes all member societies confirm that membership in the society is in no way restricted by race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, or political preference.


IFORS supports equity, values diversity and promotes inclusion. Besides ensuring compliance with non-discrimination and equality rules, IFORS commits to welcoming and managing equity, diversity and inclusion.


Equity is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities, including economic participation and decision-making, regardless of gender or sexuality, race and religion. IFORS supports and promotes equity.


Diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. Diversity means understanding one another to ensure people truly value their differences. IFORS embraces and celebrates the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual and places positive value on diversity in the community.


Inclusion is an organisational effort and practices such that different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated. Inclusion is a sense of belonging. IFORS promotes an inclusive culture that makes people feel respected and valued for who they are as an individual or group.


IFORS provides an environment that encourages and supports free expression, freedom from discrimination, harassment and retaliation, full participation in all activities and leadership, and collaboration among people of different backgrounds.


IFORS is committed to creating a fair, diverse and inclusive culture that fully reflects the global Operational Research community. IFORS actively encourages all practices that contribute to achieve this goal.


IFORS promotes equity, diversity and inclusion through the following workstreams:


- Representation: to accelerate progress on representation of diversity in all IFORS activities at all levels of relevance;

- Culture: to foster a culture of belonging and empathy within the IFORS activities;

- Dissemination: to disseminate the culture of equity, diversity and inclusion to the IFORS member societies.


IFORS will develop in all its activities specific actions in support of the above referenced workstreams.


Gender Equity Action Plan


IFORS is committed to ensure that gender equity is appropriately embedded and prioritised. IFORS efforts/targets equality independent of gender in:

- Administrative Committee;

- Editors-in-chief and Editorial Boards of journals;

- In juries, panels, committees;

- Nominees for awards;

- Awardees;

- Keynote speakers.