The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with the Canadian Embassy, Chulalongkorn University’s Sasin School of Management and Workplace Pride, recently launched an initiative to help businesses create safe workplaces for Thai LGBTQ+ people.
The so-called “Inclusion Toolkit for Organisations and Business: LGBTQI+ Insights to Increase Inclusion for All” includes information from Thai LGBTQ activists, civil society organisations, and local and international companies to produce guidelines on how to best create an inclusive workplace.
Renaud Meyer, the UNDP resident representative, said that while Thai society has been working on the civil rights of LGBTQ people, it is also important to advocate for their economic rights.
The LGBTQ+ community is often prone to discrimination in workplaces, he said, citing a study conducted for the preparation of the toolkit.
He stated that 45% of LGBTQ+ people interviewed for the initiative said they faced job rejections because of their gender identity; 46% of the interviewees had to conceal their gender identity at work; 53% were subjected to jokes and comments due to their sexual orientations and gender identity.
“So we can see that behind the glitz of Thailand being the mecca of the world for the LGBTQ+ community, there is another reality that has never made a headline," he said.
“Safe workplaces for LGBTQ is a sensitive worldwide matter. The toolkit can be mobilised and adapted to different cultural contexts,” he added.
Ping Kitnikone, the Canadian ambassador, said that Canada has long been dedicated to championing diversity and encouraging the adoption of an inclusive approach that leads to full and meaningful participation by all.
“Managing diversity in the workplace is more than simply acknowledging differences that exist among us,” she said.
“It is more than just developing policies or creating a programme or launching a toolkit.
“To make it work, the framework must assimilate into organisational cultures. Therefore, I do encourage everyone to take the guidance provided in the toolkit as a starting point to implement it in an organisation. I also would like to challenge you to review the progress and to strive to continue to better serve your organisation and your employees by internalising these guidances and principles,” she added.
Jiraporn Sindhuprai, the minister attached to the Thai PM’s office, said that the government is committed to addressing these challenges through the fifth national human rights plan that prioritises specific groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals, so to eliminate discrimination and raise awareness.
“This toolkit is an important milestone towards an inclusive Thailand, starting with guidelines for inclusive workplaces and how to prevent unconscious bias against Thai LGBTQ+,” she added.
