Combating LGBTQ+ Discrimination: A Longstanding Commitment

To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, we want to underline our commitment to these communities, who are facing even greater discrimination during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the calendar, May 17 has been a symbol of the fight against LGBTQ+ discrimination since 2004. The date was not chosen by chance, as it commemorates the decision taken by the World Health Organization on May 17, 1990 to no longer consider homosexuality a mental illness. 

Leading the way

As an international Group that employs more than 88,000 people, we know that we have a role to play in combating discrimination and leading by example. We are committed to providing a more inclusive work environment for the LGBTQ+ community around the world. That commitment is based on conviction, which we have turned into numerous examples of practical action in recent years.

Since 2018, we have pledged to meet the Standards of Conduct for Business drawn up by the United Nations. These standards go beyond the provision of equal treatment at work for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; they encourage social change at a global level. In 2020, we launched our Employee Human Rights Policy, with the principle of non-discrimination, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, enshrined in article 3.

We have also extended paid paternity (or co-parental) leave this year to at least six weeks, an objective that will be maintained in 2021 for all of our subsidiaries as part of the Share & Care Program. Every day, our aim is to help build a fairer and more inclusive world. That commitment is reflected in everything we do, and is supported by every one of our employees and every one of our subsidiaries.

Find out more about our country-level commitments to diversity and our Diversity and Inclusion policy.