Human Rights Campaign Expands LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality Program to Brazil & Argentina

by Aryn Fields •

WASHINGTON — Today, The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, in partnership with Instituto de Políticas Públicas LGBT and Instituto Mais Diversidade, is launching LGBTQ+ workplace equality programs in Argentina and Brazil, Equidad AR and Equidad BR. These build upon existing benchmarking surveys and reports in Latin America, currently recognizing employers in Chile and Mexico, who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQ+ equality by adopting crucial LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices for their employees.

Over the past five years, our Equidad programs have fostered better and more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ employees in Latin America. Since the inception of this program, more than 200 major employers in Mexico and Chile have taken steps to ensure their policies and practices address the needs of their LGBTQ+ employees. This success and the work of our incredible partners in Argentina and Brazil, set a clear path for further expansion of our program in the region.

Keisha Williams, Human Rights Campaign Director of Workplace Equality

Equidad MX and Equidad CL, inspired by the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), were HRC’s first in-country programs in Latin America. Through these programs, HRC Foundation is leading the advancement of LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion across the United States, Mexico and Chile—impacting more than 30.6 million employees worldwide.

In Argentina, HRC is partnering with Instituto de Políticas Públicas LGBT, a nonprofit created to support LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, practices and workplace inclusion. This partnership was facilitated by Esteban Paulón, an HRC Global Innovator, who helped pass marriage equality legislation in the national parliament.

Argentina is one of the most advanced countries in terms of rights for the collective of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and non-binary people in the region. However, the formal equality achieved does not always transform into real equality of opportunities. We believe that in the corporate sphere there is a great opportunity to achieve the equality that we dream.

Esteban Paulón, President of the IPP LGBT+

HRC’s Brazilian partner, Instituto Mais Diversidade, advocates and supports LGBTQ+ people in key aspects of life with a particular interest in promoting professional opportunities, financial empowerment and full inclusion of LGBTQ+ employees in Brazilian workplaces. Additionally, Forum de Empresas e Direitos LGBTI+, a nonprofit that works specifically to improve the lives of Brazilian LGBTQ+ workers, have been critical allies in successfully expanding Equidad BR into the country.

This partnership between HRC, Instituto +Diversidade and Brazilian Forum of Companies and LGBTI+ rights will start the next level of LGBTI+ inclusion in the workplace in Brazil. An index that recognizes inclusive companies and practices is a must to push forward and accelerate LGBTI+ inclusion in Brazil.

João Torres, Executive President of Instituto +Diversidade

Earlier this year, a landmark 96 companies participated in HRC Equidad CL, which tripled the amount of corporate engagement since its inaugural edition. Additionally in 2020, HRC launched its fourth annual HRC Equidad MX, in the report 212 employers earned top ratings, a 77% increase over the previous year’s total of 120. The strides made in both countries reflect a growing commitment in Latin America to creating LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices in their workplaces, which led to expansion of HRC’s global workplace equality programs into Argentina and Brazil.

The Equidad programs in Argentina and Brazil will evaluate businesses and corporations operating in those countries based on three core pillars of LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion:

  • Adoption of non-discrimination policies

  • Creation of employee resource groups or diversity and inclusion councils

  • Engagement in public activities to support LGBTQ+ inclusion.

This is the same framework being applied in the ongoing Equidad programs in Mexico and Chile.

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ+ community.

Contact Us

To make a general inquiry, please visit our contact page. Members of the media can reach our press office at: (202) 572-8968 or email press@hrc.org.

Topics:
Workplace
Global