Meritocracy is a great idea if the playing field is level. It isn&#x27;t, and for hundreds of years the voices of women and people of color have been systematically oppressed — but I don&#x27;t need to tell you that.<p>The deliberate inclusion of more women and POC is a conscious choice to combat this. Their works will be judged on their merits - but first they must have the opportunity to be judged, and that&#x27;s something to which they do not have equal access compared to white men.