I think we need a host of affirmative action strategies in order to make a difference. Just as we do in pay, we need positive action. Some of those can be targeted at particular kinds of numbers, although, when we do numbers, they tend to be the maximum rather than the minimum that we want to do. Certainly that can be an important factor in moving in that direction.
In response to an earlier question about factors in hiring, I would have answered that “cluster hiring” is also starting to be encouraged as an affirmative action. If you are the only indigenous woman teaching at a university or in senior management, it can be very difficult to operate. You need more than one.
We do need some strategies, including quotas of various sorts, I think, to get more people from all of the equity-seeking groups. That way there's support for one another. It can be very lonely if you're the only one identified from a particular group.
