Here is why Diversity Charters matter today.
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“The EU draws strength and unity from its diversity - we must continue to endeavour to create more diverse, inclusive and equal workplaces and societies.” |
| Helena Dalli, EU Commissioner for Equality |
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Ten years ago, the European Commission launched the EU Platform of Diversity Charters to support companies, public institutions and nonprofit organisations in putting diversity, inclusion and solidarity at the core of their activities. By signing Diversity Charters and participating in their activities, members commit to create and maintain an inclusive work environment for their employees, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. |
 Number of Diversity Charters signatories per country
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24 national Diversity Charters across the EU | |
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Over 12,000 signatories (companies, public institutions, NGOs, universities, unions) | |
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Over 16 million employees represented | |
Examples of good practices introduced by Diversity Charters signatories:
- Flexible hours policy to allow for better work-life balance
- Increased recruitment of people with disabilities and investment in building up their skills
- Training sessions on unconscious bias put in place for recruiters and human resources professionals
- Events, workshops and lectures on mental health at the workplace
- Dedicated communities on the company intranet on the topics of gender equality, rights of people with disabilities and LGBTI
- International food weeks in companies to learn about diverse cultural background of all employees
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, Charters companies and organisations have championed
values of inclusion and solidarity, with their employees and their wider communities. A few
examples of their actions:
- Coca-Cola HBC Italia donated gloves, shoe covers and protective glasses to local hospitals
- Danone and Vodafone Czech Republic offered free psychological support to employees
- ICZ group provided technological support to a Czech NGO helping children affected by domestic violence
- Nestlé and the Prague 7 municipal district donated free meals to emergency medical services
- Swedbank Latvia supported the development of the “Stay home” communication platform, which aims to improve the lives of older people through the coronavirus pandemic
- IKEA and Habitat for Humanity Poland Foundation donated furniture and equipment to homeless shelters in Gdańsk, Poznań, Kraków, Kielce, Pabianice and Warsaw
Testimonies from the signatories
| “There is an obvious link between society and the workplace. What matters is cohesion. What helps is diversity. We support the vision of the working environment as a large, mixed team.” |
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| Aletta Gräfin von Hardenberg, Director of Charta der Vielfalt - Diversity Charter Germany |
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“Our ecosystem is diverse - performance, innovation and agility are achieved through the inclusion of all people” |
| Gina Sotir, Inclusion & Diversity Lead for Romania at Accenture, a signatory of the Romanian Diversity Charter |
| “We believe that the private sector has an obligation, together with the public sector, to promote a fairer, more inclusive and, in turn, more balanced society.” |
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| Cátia Martins, CEO of L’Oréal Portugal, a signatory of the Portuguese Diversity Charter |
