That’s not all. After reading some research papers on the subject, the business case for diversity can be made regarding better financial returns and more innovation from diverse companies. The reason is mainly attributed to diverse teams having more disagreement, but better outcomes.
Personally, I think some of the pushes for diversity can be overstated and swing the pendulum too far, but it is clear that having a homogeneous workforce who all think the same is not a good thing. I would also add that I think diversity of thought (attributed to the sociocultural practices, outlooks, and experiences you mentioned) is what I interpret to what is critical for diversity to have a positive impact, not the race or gender. It just so happens that a lot of those experiences happen to be specific to race/gender and race/gender is much easier to measure than opinions, thoughts, and abilities.