Celina Jaitly Blogs About Why An Inclusive Workplace Is The First Step Towards Gender Equality

I have often said that ¡®change¡¯ begins with ¡®difficult¡¯ conversations that ¡°must¡± be had. So while we continue our fight for repealing Section 377 in our country, we certainly can begin working at the grass root levels in laying our foundation towards equality for all.

In India, a staggering 56% of white collar LGBTQI report discrimination. A certain percentage also report sexual harassment at work just because they happen to be gay. Many of these incidents have been personally narrated to me by very senior established LGBTQI persons, who had to either comply with it for years or continuously change jobs.

BCCL

If organisations and corporates run by the so-called maximum of the educated elite are unable to include within their policies a safe, indiscriminate working environment and opportunities for the LGBTQI, I wonder what the lesser mortals are going to do?

The poverty stricken, educationally challenged and ostracised Kothis (hijra) are as it is marginalised to the outskirts of society. 64% of Kothis had incomes below $70 per month, 66% of MSM in Chennai below $1.50/day.

Associated Press

At the very bottom of the pyramid, inspire the socially excluded and ostracised to even think of taking any step forward in a positive direction despite deeply embedded homophobic and transphobic poverty stricken environments combined with a lack of adequate legal protection. LGBT individuals may experience multiple forms of marginalisation - such as racism, sexism, poverty or other factors - alongside homophobia or transphobia that negatively impact on mental health. Hence, when big organisations and corporates come together to support an inclusive work environment they actually also set inspirational standards and goals that contributes towards a progressive society.

This in turn presents opportunities and inspires all levels of the progress pyramid to pursue their best capabilities and not waste valuable effort muting their authentic selves.

BCCL

Just as companies must comply with health and safety regulations, environmental protection standards and minimum wage provisions, so too must they adhere to international human rights standards even if doing so increases the cost of doing business. Imagine the business and political world without legendary LGBTQI heads like Prime Minister J¨®hanna Sigurdard¨®ttir who came to power in Iceland following the country's economic collapse in late 2008 or Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo who became leader of Belgium in late 2011, ending an infamously long period in which a deadlocked parliament was unable to assemble a workable coalition to govern the country.

Imagine Apple without Tim Cook, Google without Arjan Dijk (Vice President of Marketing at Google), Paul Wood, (Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Bloomberg), Alex Schultz, (VP, Growth at Facebook). The list is never ending as it leaves us in India with a humongous amount of uncelebrated genius locked in deary closets.

I think it is evident that we need businesses to make a stand.

BCCL

Taking steps towards an inclusive workplace and measuring the results will send the message that a business wants progress, that it wishes to have the LGBT community onboard and that it is serious about diversity. Taking steps such as these will enable participating states, corporates and organisations to enrich people¡¯s lives.

It will also see them fulfill their international human rights obligations and, as we will hear today, help them to reap significant economic dividends.

The price of exclusion is heavy and affects everyone hence Companies & organisations not having inclusive policies leads to exclusion, a waste of human potential, a loss of creative talent, and a loss of productive capacity.

UN

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra¡¯ad Al Hussein hits the nail on the head with his historic statement of inclusion that :

¡°Companies must either decide to actively combat discrimination against LGBTI people or accept that they are, in effect, facilitating it. There is no neutral position available.¡±

Having said the above,I sincerely hope to see a coalition of committed organisations big & small, corporates and hopefully one day our government too, to reach out to those with different perspectives and respectfully engage them in promoting greater LGBT inclusion promises and legal obligations to bring real and substantial inclusive environments at work for all.