Di is a past Local Authority Chief Officer (Head of Women's Unit at London Borough of Ealing) who has worked as an independent equalities consultant and trainer for the last 16 years.

She has conducted equality audits and organisational reviews in a wide range of public sector organisations: London Fire Brigade, Basildon, Hillingdon, Shepway, North Somerset, Torquay and Forest of Dean councils (amongst others). She has run training on Promoting Equality, Challenging Discrimination and Valuing Diversity for National Children's Homes, Rape Crisis, London Pension Fund Authority, North Devon, Watford, West Dorset, and Hillingdon councils (amongst others). Recently as an accredited consultant with the Local Government Employers' Organisation's equality arm, Dialog (now part of the Improvement and Development Agency IDeA) she has assisted many organisations reach levels 1 - 3 of the Equality Standard for Local Government. This has included training on conducting equality impact assessments; she has also trained Shelter staff on this and on monitoring.

Di has a continued interest in gender issues, having taught on the MA in women's studies at Sheffield Hallam University and her PhD was on "Nation, Class and Gender".

She has recently been asked by Dialog of the IDeA to draft their advice on producing Gender Equality schemes. Now Di Parkin is helping public bodies meet their gender equality duties successfully.