As one of the most LGBTI-friendly countries in the world, Sweden is encouraging Thailand to formulate anti-discrimination policies for employees to create a fair and positive working environment.
Karl Yves Vallin, managing director for RFSL Utbildning AB, said enterprises should have policies in place to create an environment free from gender discrimination. He provided examples of guiding principles that organisations might apply to combat harassment in the workplace.
"Awareness and education about LGBTI issues is important. This can be achieved through training programmes or campaigns," he said at a recent public seminar on how to prevent LGBTI discrimination and harassment in the workplace at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre.
It was organised by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Embassy of Sweden. "Regarding reporting and accountability, the organisation should have confidential channels for reporting incidents, conducting investigations and taking appropriate action."
When the organisation has policies that ensure LGBTI access to justice by receiving complaints and bringing action against individuals, a positive working environment is created, he added.
Christian Dassonville, country human resource manager for IKEA Thailand, said the organisation's commitment to anti-discrimination and harassment policies has resulted in a healthy working environment for their employees.
Everyone should work in a safe environment where they can be their full, unique selves.
"We believe it's the right thing to do. Being fair and inclusive matters and always treats everyone's diversity with respect because everyone should feel safe in the workplace," he said.
James "Rusameekae" Fagerlund, an LGBTI celebrity and actor, said LGBTI people do not need to prove their versatile abilities in order to be accepted by society because gender is an individual preference that society should respect rather than being used to judge someone's work capacity or skills. It is a contradiction that despite many campaigns, there are still some rights that LGBTI people are not granted because of gender differences. Therefore, the government has the responsibility to uphold the rights of LGBTI individuals.
"I would like to tell the government that nowadays our world has gone very far. Gender diversity is something that can no longer be hidden. So, I'm asking the government to allow us to have opportunities to live our lives as normal human beings," he said.
