Jake Laws

Programmes Officer, Stonewall Scotland (He/Him)

Serrena Tanna

Empowerment Events Development Officer, Stonewall (She/Her)

A4: Going Global with LGBT inclusion

A4: Going Global with LGBT inclusion

Learning Objectives

• Understand the experience of LGBT people across the world and the role of

organisations supporting LGBT inclusion across their global operations

• Develop a plan to kick of your global LGBT inclusion strategy that includes

concrete actions

• Discover different support mechanism to turn your values into reality

Stonewall’s International Approach

• Engaging with Government and International Bodies (i.e. United Nations)

• Working with in-country activists and NGOs

• Raising awareness of LGBT rights Internationally

• Supporting Global Employers

Global LGBT Rights: Positive Progress

• 9 UN Member States constitutionally prohibit discrimination on the grounds of

Sexual Orientation

• 74 UN Member States have laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the

grounds of Sexual Orientation

• At least 43 countries have outlawed homophobic hate crimes

• 29 countries recognise same-sex marriage

• 9 countries operate a self-determination system for Gender Recognition, with an

additional 4 countries having at least some regional (or state) self-determination.

However…

• 70 UN member states criminalise same-sex sexual acts

• 6 UN member states impose the death penalty, with an additional 5 UN member

states where it is possible.

• 41 UN member states have laws that restrict the possibilities of registering or running

NGOs that work on issues related to sexual orientation.

• Over a quarter (29%) of the world’s population believe being LGBT should be a crime.

• In more than half the world, LGBT people may not be protected from discrimination

by workplace law

• Most governments deny trans people the right to legally

change their name and gender from those that were assigned

to them at birth

• A quarter of the world’s population believes that trans people

should not be granted full legal recognition of their gender

identity

• 1612 trans people were murdered from 2008 to 2014

Challenges for LGBT inclusion in Global Organisations

To get started in global LGBTI inclusion, employers should consider the following steps

to identify the needs of LGBTI employees:

• Understand the Experiences of LGBTI People

• Ensure Policies are inclusive of LGBTI identities

• Identify ongoing support requirements

• Make specific considerations for trans employees

Legal Factor Example of Barriers Examples of Impact

Criminalisation • Sexual activities between people of the

same sex are illegal and may be

punishable with imprisonment, corporal

punishment or death

• LGBT employees at risk of arrest and

harassment by authorities

Lack of Protection • LGBT people are not protected by

antidiscrimination law

• LGBT employees can be overlooked for

promotion or fired for being who they are

• LGBT employees are refused

accommodation or other services

Lack of

Recognition

• Same-sex relationships are not

recognized

• Parental rights of LGBT parents are not

recognised

• A trans person’s gender identity is not

legally recognized

• Dependents are unable to relocate

• Trans employees are unable to obtain a

national ID card reflecting their gender

identity

2. Getting Your Policies Right

There are key policies that organisations should implement

globally:

• Discrimination Policy

• Bullying and Harassment Policy

• Mobility Policies

Have you also considered:

• Are your family leave policies LGBT-inclusive?

• Do managers and leaders have training on LGBT- inclusive

policies?

• Are Employee Benefits schemes LGBT-inclusive?

3. Identify Ongoing Support Requirements

• What support do you have available to support colleagues

travelling to international operations?

• Do you provide an in-country point of contact for LGBT

staff?

• Are in-country managers trained to understand the issues

LGBT people travelling between countries may face?

• Does your LGBT network have international operations?

• Do you give employees the opportunity to give their

perspective?

4. Make Specific Considerations For Trans Employees

Trans people make vast contributions in workplaces across the world.

However, throughout the employee lifecycle, trans people can face a range of

challenges and discrimination on the grounds of their gender identity and

expression. You should consider the following trans-specific issues when

approaching global policies:

• Ensuring policies use Gender Neutral Language

• Communicating a strong to commitment to trans equality globally

• Banning discrimination, bullying and harassment against people based on their Gender Identity, Expression or Trans Status

• Where necessary, have country specific trans policies

Business Case for LGBT inclusion in Global Organisations

Championing LGBTI inclusion benefits organisations and allows staff to flourish. It also

allows employers to:

✓ Live their values, wherever they are in the world

✓ Attract and retain the best talent

✓ Unlock the potential of their staff

✓ Make Corporate Social Responsibility a reality and adhere to international standards

Introducing the UN Standards for BusinessIn 2017, the UN Human Rights Office developed Five Standards of Conduct to

support business in tackling discrimination against LGBTI people. These

standards say companies should:

• Respect Human Rights

• Eliminate Discrimination

• Support LGBTI Staff

• Not Discriminate

• Stand up for human rights

Liam FogartyInclusion Manager, RBS(He/Him)

Sandy EdmondVice-President, Global Shareholder ServicesFranklin Templeton Global Investors (She/Her)

Group Activity

Beginning Your Action Plan

Use the hand-out to consider how the learning from this session can translate

into your workplace context. We want you to consider the following:

• Your key objective (what are you hoping to achieve)

• Intervention Required

• Who can support this?

• Are there any special considerations you need to make?

• What KPIs can help you judge progress?

Stonewall Global Diversity Champions Programme

• Expertise and resources• Dedicated Account Manager

• Access to Stonewall’s library of global research and resources

• Benchmarking and assessment• Take part in our Global Workplace Equality Index

• A chance to be recognised as a Top Global Employer

• Networking and events• Attend exclusive Global Diversity Champions Events

• Opportunities to network with other Global Diversity Champions,

including our Global Founding Partners

• Visibility and branding• Use of the Stonewall Global Diversity Champions brand

• A profile and access to Proud Employers

Global Workplace Equality IndexA comprehensive tool to benchmark your progress on

Global LGBT Equality

• Open for submissions until Monday 2 March 2020

• Top Global Employers Launch in July 2020

• Benchmarking in Summer 2020

Find out more at https://www.stonewall.org.uk/global-

workplace-equality-index

Any Questions?