EU Platform of Diversity Charters

Together we can uphold equality and diversity and strive to be inclusive​

Launched within the EU's Anti-Racism Action Plan 2020-2025 and the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025, the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award is a part of the Commission's work towards a Union of Equality.

The European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award has one single aim: to highlight – and reward - towns, cities and regions across the EU that act as a beacon, that lead by example in terms of inclusive policies.

The winners of this year's Awards, as announced during a ceremony held on 28 April 2022, come from five Member States: Croatia, Germany, Romania, Spain and Sweden. The jury agreed they deserved the award for their outstanding work to build fairer societies by promoting diversity and inclusion. For the purpose of the awards, diversity and inclusion covered a broad range of aspects such as sex, racial and ethnic origin, religion and belief, disability, age, LGBTIQ rights and Roma integration.

Out of more than 80 applications received between November 2021 and 15 February 2022, the jury selected 27 finalists from which the panel of experts picked three winners – gold, silver and bronze medalists - in each of the three categories.

Meet the winners

The German city of Köln is the gold-winner in the 'local authorities above 50,000 inhabitants' category. The jury commended it for its strategy to enhance diversity and inclusion. Gothenburg, Sweden (silver) and Barcelona, Spain (bronze) are the two other medalists in that category.

Croatia's Koprivnica is the gold-winner for 'local authorities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants'. This local authority adopted a strategy to support people with disabilities. Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany (silver) and Antequera, Spain (bronze) complete the podium.

Andalucía, Spain, is the gold-winner of the third, Roma-specific category for its Comprehensive Plan for the Inclusion of the Roma Community, followed by Gothenburg, Sweden (silver) and Garninari, Romania (bronze).

Andaloucia featured high in the competition as the winner of the public vote is the town of Antequera, in Andaloucia​.

Introducing the winners​ Vice-President Jourová said: “As we celebrate the winners, we are reminded of the importance of such initiatives in support of the values which represent our union, at whichever level that may be."

Commissioner Dalli added: “Today, these local authorities have showcased in the best possible way how together we can uphold equality and diversity and strive to be inclusive for all."

If you would like to be informed about the upcoming Awards, subscribe to #DiversityCapitals Newsletter!

You can find out more about the Awards here.

You can watch the Awards ceremony here.

Celebrated each May, European Diversity Month draws attention to the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This year’s theme focused on building bridges between organisations and areas of inclusion and diversity policy covering all grounds of discrimination.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​European Diversity Month is part of the Commission's commitment to fight discrimination and promote diverse and inclusive workplaces through legislation. Its aim is to raise awareness of the importance of diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and in society throughout the whole EU. European Diversity Month also celebrates efforts by organisations to help build equal and inclusive environments for the benefit of all – including public institutions, private companies, non-profit organisations and local authorities.

Building bridges in 2022

This year's edition put an emphasis on encouraging organisations to build partnerships with governmental institutions, private companies and civil society organisations to work together to promote diversity. The European Commission together with the EU Platform of Diversity Charters invited all organisations and companies in Europe to also build bridges between the different aspects of diversity.

Commissioner Dalli said: “Diversity management in the workplace must be one of the main human resources priorities for any employer in Europe. This is because when employees are valued for who they are, they are more committed to their job and make full use of their talents and creativity."

European Diversity Month 2022 kicked off on 29 April with a high-level opening event that featured speeches and debates with Commissioner Dalli and representatives of organisations such as Ingka Group (IKEA Retail), Solvay, Orange, AXA or Enel who explored how to build more inclusive workplaces, and how we can all play a part in creating truly inclusive spaces that contribute to the growth of both the businesses and their employees.

You can watch the recording of the opening event here.

During the European Diversity Month 2022, thousands of organisations joined in the celebrations by organising their own internal and external actions, events and social media campaigns focusing on diversity and inclusion. Diversity Charters from 26 Member States also organised their own events and encouraged their signatories to take part. You can find information about some of the initiatives of the Diversity Charters presented in this Newsletter.

To learn more about the EU Diversity Month and the individual Diversity Charters visit our website.

The 2023 Access City Award competition is now open for applications! Since 2010, this award recognises cities that are making significant efforts to become more accessible for persons with disabilities and have plans for further improvement. The winning city receives a financial prize of €150,000. The 2nd and 3rd place winners receive €120,000 and €80,000 respectively. Awarded cities also receive widespread visibility, highlighting the city’s willingness to be inclusive. The competition is organised by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum. The deadline for applications is 8 September 2022 at 23:59 CEST. Consult examples of best practice by the 2022 winner and finalists in the brochure and prepare your application on the 2023 Access City Award webpage.

In April the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum held the high-profile prize giving ceremony of the 2021 Annual Responsible Business Awards, a landmark BBLF project that has been held since 2003 and is Bulgaria’s most prominent national corporate social responsibility and sustainability competition. This year's edition saw the introduction of a new category titled Diversity at Work, part of BBLF’s efforts to encourage and recognize diverse teams and inclusive workplaces. The new category was the highlight of the Awards’ promotional campaign in December 2021 – February 2022. A total of 9 companies entered their D&I programmes competing for the title of our diversity category pioneers: IBM Bulgaria, Paysafe, HPE Bulgaria, Transpress, BGAssist, Nestle Bulgaria, Cargill Bulgaria, BAT Bulgaria, Musala Soft. An independent judging panel consisting of experts and Bulgarian Diversity Charter advisory board members selected the winner, HPE Bulgaria, and two finalists, IBM Bulgaria and BGAssist. The prizes were handed out by Sofia Deputy Mayor Doncho Barbalov in the presence of the Prime Minister, a Vice Prime Minister, three government ministers, public sector officials, business executives, civil sector representatives, the media. The event was a great opportunity for us to spread the word about the Charter, the importance of D&I and the EU Diversity Month.

In May 2022 we held a webinar on best corporate practice in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. The event dubbed Diversity at Work was a meaningful tool to share ideas and experience in the context of the new Diversity at Work category mentioned above. With the event, the Bulgarian Diversity Charter joined the numerous celebrations all over Europe that marked EU Diversity Month 2022. BBLF Chair Levon Hampartzoumian pointed out the Bulgarian Diversity Charter signatories and larger community are part of a bigger, EU-wide movement of diversity supporters. Dimitar Markov, CSD Law Programme Director and event moderator, stressed the best way to promote diversity in the workplace to businesses is by showcasing best practice and results of it. The webinar’s official guests included the Chairperson of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPAD), private sector and NGO sector officials. Guest speakers from the private sector were senior managers with the companies that had been recognised for their inspiring and effective D&I management policies in the Annual Responsible Business Awards: HPE Bulgaria, IBM Bulgaria, and BGAssist. They shared their commitment and experience of their successful D&I programmes, and took questions about some practical details from business peers. The webinar was attended by over 50 companies and organisations: the Charter’s existing and potential signatories, like-minded individuals from the private, public and NGO sectors.

In result of the two events, we have seen an upsurge of interest in the Bulgarian Diversity Charter, the EU Platform of Diversity Charters and the EU Diversity Month’s events and activities. Nine more companies joined the local Charter and we believe this is a direct result of the events in this period.

What would some of the most important aspects of our lives be like if we all encouraged each person to show their true identity? What if we give every different person the opportunity to contribute their brightest part to the well-being of a workplace, a family, a community, a society? What is certain is that this would be beneficial to society, the economy, business and the workplace.

On the occasion of the second European Month of Diversity (May 2022) and as part of the national actions of the Diversity Charter Cyprus to celebrate the month, the Center for Social Innovation (CSI), official representative of the Diversity Charter Cyprus, together with the Diversity Charter Cyprus implemented three main activities at national level, opening a debate on a real ethical and meaningful investment in diversity, away from clichés and stereotypical approaches:

1. A celebrational, promotional video on diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the society in Cyprus, that was funded by the European Commission.
2. An official showcase/screening of the video at Europe Day on the 8^th May 2022, organized at national level in Nicosia, Cyprus.
3. Screening of the video at the Femme Fest, on the 29^th May 2022, organized at national level in Nicosia, Cyprus, by the Municipality of Nicosia.

Watch the video here and become part of the change!

Our members and signatories have yet again outdone themselves. 1,100 organisations and companies organised more than 3,000 activities following this year’s theme: #CelebrateDiversity. This new record in participation, but especially the contents of the activities clearly showcase that diversity in the world of work has come to stay. The topics of diversity and inclusion were reported on in TV reports, radio, podcasts and in numerous articles in daily and weekly newspapers in print and online. On Twitter, the hashtags #DDT22 and #DiversityDay were among the top five German Twitter trends. And our joint diversity journey continues: We are looking forward to the next European Diversity Month, including the 11th German Diversity Day on 23 May 2023!

In other news: Registration for the third edition of our project “DIVERSITY Challenge” kicked off in July. The aim of the nationwide team competition is to get young employees between the ages of 16 and 27 excited about diversity. We want to strengthen their commitment to a prejudice-free and appreciative working world in which everyone can make the most of their own abilities. The competition gives young people the chance to take action and shape diversity - with creative and innovative projects that they create themselves.

The exhibition also had a side-program of guided tours and a hybrid panel discussion on May 11th, the Diversity Day in Estonia. Weekly tours featured an expert leading the discussion on age diversity from different angles, especially in the workplace. Informal talks were moderated for example by a leading workplace branding specialist, or our partners from Swedish embassy in Tallinn, who provided their long-term experiences and insight on the subject.

Success stories and difficulties in diversity were also discussed in a panel with four major Estonian employers. Big emphasis was given to inclusion, aside from noticing and embracing the differences in the work environment. The event was streamed on the home page of one of the biggest daily newspapers.

An online quiz was open to anyone interested throughout the month, both in Estonian and in English. It covered educational facts from LGBT+ community and people with disabilities to neurodiversity and ethnic minorities. The quiz received good feedback last year and was incorporated in the Diversity Month activities by many inspiring signatories in 2022. Working and celebrating together with them and all the European charters is motivating and humbling, we are lucky to have that!

On May 18, Fundación Diversidad –Diversity Charter of Spain-, organized a great event in Madrid to celebrate the second edition of the European Diversity Month, named "BUILDING BRIDGES FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE SOCIETY". It was organized together with the Representation of the European Commission in Spain and with the support of the companies CaixaBank, Ferrovial and Richemont, which have signed the Diversity Charter and are largely committed to diversity and inclusion. The event was also broadcasted in streaming.

The event was a great success in terms of visibility and communication: 536 registrations (which represents an increase of 71% compared to 2021) and 2 million people reached on the day of the event (1,906,984 internet users), with the hashtag #MesEuropeodelaDiversidad.

The main objectives of the event were to encourage alliances between companies, institutions, NGOs and society to work together to promote diversity, and to build bridges between the different aspects of diversity.

The communication actions developed in press and social media were a success. Further, the organization of two interesting round tables encouraged the debate among the public and also on social networks.

In the first debate three companies –CaixaBank, Orange and Ferrovial- presented their solidarity actions they are carrying out in the context of the war in Ukraine. In the second one, there was a discussion about how to promote alliances between generations to increase business competitiveness.

During the event there was an amazing performance by Dan Zass, a group that brings dance closer to people with disabilities. The artists Anais and Cristina Arauzo moved the audience with their lovely dance.

Additionally, Fundación Diversidad introduced the new organizations that have signed the Diversity Charter, and those which renewed their commitment for two years.

To conclude, the global leader and diversity expert Bisila Bokoko, delivered the keynote speech "Cultural diversity, a super power", which was absolutely inspiring and revealing.

The final message was that diversity is a key factor to be more competitive. We all should become ambassadors of diversity, communicating, making visible and promoting equality and inclusion in our workplaces and in the society.

We successfully implemented the "Diversity & Inclusion Training Program", a complete training program about Diversity and Inclusion. The program was attended by the employees from the Greek companies that belong to the Diversity Charter Greece and more specifically the executives who manage groups of people -People Managers-. All participants participated in experiential activities that helped them understand and comprehend the basic concepts around Diversity. 19 big companies from the Greek labour market participated. The event with photos was promoted in our social media channels (Facebook and Linkedin) with tag to all companies that had participated.

We also created a video with friends and colleagues to talk about the meaning of Diversity. Children and adults from different countries gave their own interpretation of the meaning of Diversity with the aim of raising awareness and activating the public around issues of Diversity and Inclusion. We shared our video on social media and at the same time we shared it to all our signatories by sending a Press Release.

Watch the video here (EN subtitles coming soon)

We are really happy that European Diversity Month gives us the opportunity to take action in order to convey the spirit of Diversity.

We are looking forward to next year!

In the meantime, join us on the 5^th of October at our 4^th Diversity in Business Conference.

The main topics were:

• the general approach of diversity and inclusion and company managements
• gender, with a special a focus on women participation and leadership (in business, diplomacy and education)
• inclusive employment of disabled people
• mental health of employees
• family diversity and awareness raising within the family
• and special topics also targeted as: inclusivity in marketing, purchasing inclusivity, corporate citizenship and donation and LGBTQIA+

The variety of program formats as webinar, round table discussion, training, workshop, presentation, podcast, internal employee programs and awareness communication programs, exhibition, fashion show enabled participants not only listen to and raise topics and raise further awareness, but also to exchange good practices and learn from each other.

23 open events allowed to involve also non-signatories of the Charter and expand the network of organizations and individual committed to diversity and inclusion. 22 closed/internal events contributed to further development of organization by deepening employee engagement or competence building.

32 online and 7 hibrid events increased the possibility of flexible participation all around the country, 16 offline events enables in-person discussions, skill development and networking.

We had the honour to find several media partners for disseminating the messages. Appearing 5 times in radio, 4 times in television, 4 times in print and more than 25 online articles delivered our messages, the event and the importance of the topics to appr. 1.000.000 contact points.

We are glad that both those more mature organizations could be involved who have already good practices (by enabling them to share or present them or participate in forward looking discsussion identifying common action areas) and organizations who are just starting the route (by finding good examples, learning about sub-topics, reaching out to a supportive network).

In accordance with the theme of this edition of Diversity Month 2022 “Building Bridges” between organizations, companies and institutions to promote diversity and to create a more inclusive society, it has decided to create a video to rise awareness and reduce stereotypes and promote an ever wider alliance on D&I subjects.

A video to raise awareness on the importance of D&I.

Within the framework of the European Diversity Month, Fondazione Sodalitas has launched an awareness campaign aimed at collecting stories of people about meaning of diversity and about the way in which individuals and companies can put it into practice. The campaign was conducted through people from member companies of Fondazione Sodalitas and was based on their stories and experiences, providing useful and interesting insights on Diversity and Inclusion.

The video was attended by people of 11 member companies – Accenture, Acque Bresciane, Bureau Veritas, Danone, Enel, FedEx Express, Feralpi Group, ICOP, Novartis, Poste Italiane and Sofidel – and signatories of the Italian Diversity Charter.

The video, characterised by mini videos, shows employees of the companies sharing their experiences in Diversity and Inclusion. Every person has something different that distinguishes them from the others. For instance, there are new mothers, foreigners, homosexuals, people with disabilities.

Participants were asked to answer to some questions regarding values and diversity and inclusion. Their answers were incredibly different and similar at the time, raising awareness anyone who sees the video. They affirmed that inclusion is respect, attention to people, sincerity, welcoming and listening to, empathy and comprehension and that an inclusive and comfortable workplace is when everyone is free to show their diversity and their needs. They declared that diversity means knowing different persons and points of view, thinking with different perspectives and that it builds progress. Afterwards, they highly asserted that through Diversity and Inclusion it is possible to share their own situation with others building an absolutely inclusive environment.

More can be viewed here.

Final event “Deploy your Talents”: relaunching STEM subjects by overcoming stereotypes

The closing event and the award ceremony of the 9^th Italian edition of “Deploy your Talents” was held on May 9 2022. The project, created by CSR Europe and developed in Italy by Fondazione Sodalitas, is aimed at relaunching STEM subjects by overcoming gender stereotypes and building partnerships between schools and companies. This 9^th edition involved 18 companies and 9 schools that have worked together to raise awareness among young people on the value of training in technical-scientific subjects and on how solid STEM training can make the difference to find work and grow professionally. During the ceremony, the students presented a video regarding their experience in partnership with companies.

Employment opportunities for persons with disabilities

On Thursday 26 May 2022 Fondazione Sodalitas and the Province of Varese held a webinar aimed at outlining the opportunities offered to the companies of the province in order to fulfil the obligations to hire workers with disabilities. During the event, legislation regarding this matter was analysed by some experts, with a particular focus on the Convention ex. Art.14 and law 68

During the online event, five speakers provided their vision on this theme and the added value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The afternoon was chaired by Hussein Adam Dia. Organization consultant and Manager of Inclusion and Diversity Bouchra Talidi was the first speaker. In her presentation, Talidi showed the added value of an inclusive work culture on the basis of the relationship between psychosocial safety, diversity and team performance. (00:04:30) She did this by, among other things, sharing her personal experiences of inclusion and exclusion and examples from her daily practice. Talidi closed with three practical tips for companies who want to move towards a more inclusive work culture. (00:20:47)

The session was mainly in Dutch, but you can watch the recording with English subtitles via YouTube.

Home

Consultant D&I and Senior Contract Manager Sander Oygur followed after her, to share his personal story (00:26:16). He was involved in organizing the Diversity Day activities last year at his employer Randstad Group Netherlands. "As a child of political refugees and raised in beautiful Twente, I have always wondered where I actually belong. Is it in the country where my parents were born and were no longer safe, or the country where I was born and my parents have built a new life? [...] As a Dutchman with a non-western background, do I have to prove myself and should I be grateful for the opportunities I have been given? Or do I just bring certain qualities with me and do I bring something to an organization? These have actually always been questions which I never felt comfortable to discuss."

However, last year Oygur decided to post a personal message on the Randstad Group's internal Internet page about this topic to see if there were any colleagues who were running into the same. He received so many responses to this, that he got the desire to do something with it. "How can we make sure that the stories of these people are actually heard? Eventually, we came up with the idea of making a podcast." (00:30:08) This podcast was launched on Diversity Day 2021.

No assumptions

For the interlude, poet Zaïre Krieger was present in the studio. She provided a spoken word performance (00:39:48). Krieger wrote the text especially for the Inspiration Session. Afterwards, she spoke with Dia about the struggle to remain herself in environments where she is expected to adapt. "I think I do a lot of little things about my appearance, or in my speech, when I have interactions with people, which force me to be myself. My blue hair is very nice, but it's actually a kind of armor. It forces me to be myself in the room and still choose not to adapt, not to codeswitch. So I do little things about myself, knowing that that might not appeal to other people. [...] I do always try to go into an interaction with as few assumptions as possible, because you don't know what kind of life people have behind them. At first glance, you wouldn't think that some people have been through so much. No assumptions or presumptions, but trying to see the person for who they are."

Gap

Keynote speaker was Prof. Dr. Jutta Allmendinger, managing director of the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschungen (WZB) and chair of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. In her presentation, she discussed gender relations in Germany and what other countries can learn from this. She did this using theories from sociology and the findings of the WZB. (00:50:28) In her conclusion, she called attention to the income gap between men and women viewed over a lifetime. "If you compare women with two children born in 1985 with fathers with two children born in 1985, the difference is 1 million euros. [...] What needs to be done? First, we need to have a public debate on how to bridge this. There are two possibilities. One is that women are more and more transformed into men. That they take over male labor market trajectories, work 45 years full time. Then the wage gap between men and women would be closed. Both in terms of hours and life income. The other is that men move more in the direction of women and we move to a four-day work week or something like a 32-hour work week. This debate is not here and is missing in Germany and in the new coalition agreement. Our new coalition is currently giving incentives in both directions, instead of formulating a clear homogeneous family policy. It is the women who suffer from this. Not the men."

Advisor Learning & Development Anna de Haan (KPN) closed the afternoon with a presentation on the online course "Soft Landing," developed by KPN with platform Mom Inc. for all women returning to work after maternity leave (01:15:30). "As an employer, we understand that the transition from maternity leave to work can be a really challenging period," De Haan said. "So we want to facilitate this to the maximum extent possible, because we truly value a healthy balance between work and care responsibilities."

At the end of the Inspiration Session, Day, chairman Dia gave some tips on what activities companies are organizing as part of Diversity Day (01:26:08). "We also need to be careful to make it concrete," he said. "So when you come up with an activity or a tool or something like that: make it concrete, make it goal-oriented, and make sure it's structurally secured in the organization. And make sure to evaluate these tools properly when you apply them in the company. This, I think, motivates all of us to make Diversity Day 2022 a festive and also educational day."

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Want to sign up for de Dutch Diversity Day 2022 on 4 October 2022? You can do so at http://www.diversityday.nl/.

The day after Diversity Day, on 3 October 2022, Jitske Kramer and Typhoon will host a master class (NL) on diversity and inclusion. Curious? You can register through this link: https://www.rhythmoflife-event.nl/

The main event in May 2022 was the 9th CSR Marketplace, the biggest corporate social responsibility event in Poland. During this edition the participants could also discover the Diversity Zone and Ukrainian Zone, created together with CSR Ukraine. It was an occasion to get to know about new CSR & D&I job offers and projects ran by companies or meet people who face the discrimination. In the Diversity Zone members of the CSR Ukraine team showed how to support people affected by the refugee crisis.

One of the key elements of the conference part was the "Diversity and Inclusion" discussion block. During the conference part prof. Adam Bodnar, the ex-Polish Ombudsman, had a speech about D&I in the times of crisis.

During the 9th CSR Marketplace, the results of the 2nd Diversity IN Check survey were also announced. It is a tool and research project invented and conducted by Responsible Business Forum as part of its activities as a coordinator of the Polish Diversity Charter. The second list of the best employers for D&I in Poland was also presented.

Also in May 2022, the Polish Diversity Charter created Hyde Park D&I - a series of talks with representatives of business entities. Eight companies - Signatories of the Diversity Charter - were involved in the project, demonstrating valuable practices in the field of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing. All presentations are available on YouTube.

As part of the 10th anniversary of the Diversity Charter in Poland, there is also a series of #DiversityTalks podcasts to which business and NGOs experts are invited. So far, 9 episodes have been produced.

In addition, on the occasion of #EUDiversityMonth, there was also an infographic showing how you can involve your organization in the celebration of Diversity Month.

See more at: http://kartaroznorodnosci.pl/

On European Diversity Month 2022, APPDI conducted several activities and achieved key milestones:

• 10 Webinars and events, on topics such as hiring immigrants, integrating LGBTQI+ people in the workplace, implementing D&I practices, evaluating impact in organizations, and D&I good practices in the education context, totaling over 650 registrations to attend;
• 12 training sessions on Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging and Equity, unconscious biases and discrimination, inclusive and neutral language, provided to organizations such as AIG, Nestlé, MoOngy, GroupM, Teleperformance, Inditex, Saint Gobain and Rock in Rio;
• Partnered with Rock in Rio Lisboa, a 4-day music festival that welcomes over 60 000 participants each day. We recruited almost 200 volunteers that administered a survey to assess the festival’s audience impressions on Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility policies and measures implemented during the festival;
• Developing a video campaign that focuses on promoting Diversity and Inclusion best practices, correcting misconceptions about working on this topic, and highlight its benefits.

We aim to expand on these efforts for the European Diversity Month 2023, and look forward to celebrating and promoting Diversity and Inclusion in all work contexts!

The second virtual national Diversity and Inclusion Forum took place on 25^th of May promoting an honest dialogue around the challenges faced by Romanian signatory organisations in their diversity journey.

The Forum included two practical panel discussions with 15 speakers from European Commission (video message by the Head of the Representation of the European Commission to Bucharest, Ramona Chiriac), IBM, IKEA, Ursus, BCR, Edenred, Sanofi, Societe Generale Global Solution Center, Enel, Philip Morris, Janssen – Johnson & Johnson and Amber with the aim to identify current and emerging challenges as well as pushing new conversations and ways of thinking in the D&I space.

Topics covered diversity in recruitment and talent management, value for disability, leadership and diversity, multigenerational diversity, gender equality and equal pay, ethnic diversity and LGBT+ inclusion.

A symbolic “signing” ceremony for the 10 newest signatories was also part of the Forum with the possibility to address the audience with short leadership messages enforcing their commitment to diversity. On this occasion we said a warm welcome to Mega Image, NN, TEVA Romania, Ursus, Brico Depot, MOL Romania, HP Entreprise, Evalueserve, Druckfarben, The Hellenic-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, a diversity column with 10 + interviews with D&I experts, 2 dedicated newsletters and 26 inspirational quotes by Charter’s ambassadors and CEOs brought valuable content to debate and reflect on.

It was great and we are looking forward to the next editions 😊

We have notice that our big banks have been extra active, with seminars and so on. For example, the bank Nordea awards the entrepreneur or company that, through its business concept, contributes to inclusion based on the funky perspective.

Axfood that has been a part of Diversity Charter Sweden from the start, had a diversity week. During this week, employees could, among other things, have coffee with a foreign-born with the same work background (via Yrkesdörren), sign up for Meet & Eat and meet new colleagues, listen to AxTalks and there will be dialogue exercises, competition and inclusion wall, inspiration, and knowledge. BBi Communication celebrated diversity month by playing a round of diversophy® - an intercultural game that allows you to explore cultural differences in a safe and enjoyable learning environment. Organized in collaboration between their Swedish and Spanish offices. They had participants from all over EU.

Last year one of our Signatories had a Diversity Run and this year, another one took the baton.

BNP Paribas offices in Sweden, Oslo, Helsinki, and Copenhagen organized a Diversity Run/Diversity Walk in the center of the cities to raise awareness of the value of diversity and inclusion. “We enjoyed some nice outdoor time together with our colleagues for a good cause.” (I have enclosed two pictures, use the one that you find best).

Even this year we had a cooperation with the other Nordic Charters. Our monthly Fredagskunskap/Breakfast seminar we invited speakers from the Danish and Finnish Charters to speak about the topic “Building bridges” regarding the new refugee situation with the people from Ukraine.

We are already excited about next years.

Women in Leadership

What are the main barriers that prevent women to reach their careers goals? Do companies take into account menopausal periods when assessing their work performance? What are the most common failures of companies in the field of gender equality? These were topics of event held on May 10 via online platform Zoom.

Deloitte regularly conducts the Women in the Boardroom study, which examines the representation of women in corporate governance. Up to 10,500 companies from 51 countries participated in its seventh edition. It shows that progress is happening, but slowly. The global average of women on boards sits at just under 20% (19.7%), an increase of just 2.8 percentage points since the last report, published in 2019. At this pace, the world will not reach parity until at least 2045, over twenty years from now. Zuzana Letková, Partner of Deloitte Slovakia presented the data from global as well as Slovak perspectives.

Elena Kohútiková can be a successful example and a great inspiration of a woman in leadership. During her long-term career in banking sector, she had been a part of a team that built an independent Slovak central bank and currency, and later introduce the euro in Slovakia. Since April 2022, she has been leading the Board of Advisors to the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic. She advises women not to hesitate to delegate duties, both at work and at home. "You don't have to do everything yourself. Give others more responsibility and create space for yourself. Learn to trust both, your colleagues and your children that they can do many things without you.” According to her, if a woman wants to have a family and at the same time hold a higher position, she must manage time in a very organized way. "As a single mother, I could not afford a lax approach to the timetable and the things that need to be done. I also expected people around me to appreciate my time," said Elena. She also encountered the fact that women seldom asked for a fair salary at a job interview, while men had no problem with that. Throughout her career, she encouraged her female colleagues to trust themselves and be aware of their abilities and skills. She, too, had moments in her life when she doubted herself, but only until she decided on the option. Elena's message for women who want to realize themselves professionally is: “Have dreams, goals and fulfill them. Work with a commitment that matches the amount of your dream salary. And when one day such an offer comes, it will be absolutely natural for you."

During the pandemic, there was more talk about the importance of mental health – and how depression or anxiety can affect work performance. Many companies provided psychological counseling, helplines, or community groups to their employees. And although the menopause may have very similar symptoms and also significantly affect the work performance of an employee, this topic is still taboo. "Menopause is a very individual and unique personal experience for women aged around 45-55. During this period, they can go through 60 different symptoms, and they feel them on average 5 years before menopause itself actually occurs", explained Karin Popovičová, an intern at GSK in London. According to the latest studies, by 2025, up to a billion women in the labor market will be experiencing menopausal symptoms. At the same time, it is alarming that one in four women in this period is considering leaving work. Nevertheless, according to Karin, menopausal women are a neglected group of female employees. "We give pregnant women more time off, the opportunity to park closer or use flexible working hours. Why do not we allow the same for women who are going through menopause, too?

Diversity Day

What impact does the war in Ukraine have on our attitude towards refugees? Are we doing enough to integrate (not only) Ukrainians into our society and the labor market? Why is this situation also an opportunity for Slovakia? We addressed these issues in a panel discussion on the occasion of the Diversity Day, which we celebrated in Slovakia on 30 May for the fifth time. On this day, at the same time, another 10 new signatories joined the Slovak Diversity Charter. The Charter currently has a total of 120 signatories.

"Currently, there is no integration program set by the state, which would have an impact on the local level and would offer methodological instructions and guidelines on how to implement the integration," said Michaela Pobudová from NGO Mareena. According to her, it is not only about refugees from Ukraine, but also migrants who come from countries outside the European Union. For them, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), based in Bratislava and Košice, provides services from public sources. However, it provides services only to those who actively seek them – it is social counseling, language courses or financial subsidies for a retraining course. According to statistics, only a small proportion of eligible people are recipients of such assistance.

"A large number of refugees in such a short time have shown us that we see all the problems in the field of integration under the magnifying glass and concern the whole of Slovakia," said Ján Orlovský, Director of the Migration Office of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic. He believes that the state will use this momentum to set up high-quality integration services in sufficient quantities, which will be available at the local level and with allocated financial resources.

People from Ukraine can also help us significantly in the labor market. Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family registered almost 80,000 job vacancies in February this year, a large number of which are difficult to fill with domestic workers. This problem will be even more significant in the future. "People from Ukraine who are university-educated and skilled are coming here, but they work in gastronomy or administrative services, where they do not use their potential. Many of them only need short-term assistance to be able to do the work they have done in the past – for example, providing language training," said Michaela.

As Martin Macharik, an activist and entrepreneur pointed out, not all people coming from Ukraine are available to work. Most of them are mothers with children who do not have the conditions to work, because it is difficult to place Ukrainian children in kindergartens or primary schools. In many cases, they are also traumatized, so, mother has to stay home with the children. Employers can help in this situation. "Find them accommodation, teach them Slovak language and provide them with support in the field of childcare – it's easy, they do not need anything more," he said. There is also a need for flexible work, retraining courses or language training. "Thanks to a few assistance steps, we can really use the potential of the people who come here, which will ultimately benefit our society," added Michaela.

During the signing ceremony of Diversity Charter, the representatives of 10 new signatory companies and organizations (• Accace • Akčné ženy (NGO) • CGI Slovakia • ČSOB • Deutsche Telekom Services Europe Slovakia • Faurecia Automotive Slovakia • Havi Logistics • Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic • PASELL Slovakia • Slovak National Theatre) presented their strategies and goals in field of diversity and inclusion at workplaces.

Besides these two specific happenings, the Charter supported several events organized during the EU Diversity Month. There had been events organized by Charter signatories to promote inclusion & diversity at workplace, events to support LGBT+ community and D&I conference with Charter presentation. Charter has even more actively promoted Diversity Index – an online tool to measure diversity at the workplace, which is a unique tool for employers in Slovakia to assess their measures to support non-discrimination, diversity and inclusion at workplace.

'Diversity Delegation of Women Managers' to Vienna

On May 17 – 19, 2022, a study tour to Vienna, 'Diversity Delegation of Women Managers' from Croatia and Slovenia, was organised by Diversity Charter Croatia (HR BCSD) and Diversity Charter Slovenia in partnership with Managers Association Slovenia and Austrian Diversity Charter (Chamber of Commerce Vienna).

Two delegations met in Vienna on the evening of the 17th and enjoyed joined dinner, where they took opportunity to meet each other, network and share interests and contacts. On the 18th, after morning guided sightseeing tour of Vienna and visiting museums (Albertina) both delegations visited headquarters of Generali Austria. They met with Mr. Mueller, head of HR at Generali. They had a chance to listen to multiple DE&I practices and employees engagement activities.

In the afternoon, From 16:00 to 19:00 hours delegations spent at the premises of Austrian Chamber of Economy, where they were hosted by Diversity Charter Austria, holding a mini conference on Diversity and Inclusion.

Austrian key notes were given by Michael Pichler, representative of Zero Project Austria and Stefanie Eigner, project manager, from Limesoda company. Speeches from Croatia were given by Maritna Mlinarić, expert form MSG global solutions and Maja Crnjak, HR manager from Erste Bank Croatia. Slovenian case was presented by Anisa Faganelj, HR manager, AMZS.

More networking was organized during dinner that evening, while the next morning, two delegations said their goodbyes. Slovenian delegation went for the audience with Slovenian ambassador in Austria, while Croatian delegation took another site visit to a family-owned hotel Henriette, with high D&I standards, holding a certificate Common Goods Balance Sheet.

Ladies from both delegations expressed their satisfaction with the study tour and networking with other business women and they have asked organizer to make such networking a yearly event.

Round table ‘Empowering Women in Business’

On May 31, 2022, Croatian Diversity Charter (HR BCSD) and Slovenian Diversity Charter organised virtual event within European Diversity Month: Round table ‘Empowering Women in Business’
You can watch it on You Tube channel https://youtu.be/DJZd8xddk-4
The event gathered more than fifty participants with six women who were panellists and shared their experience and their personal stories on achievement in their respective business careers. Challenges that panellists faced in their advancement within organisations, all included self-awareness, self-education and open and inclusive environment that values abilities and progressive approach.

The round table was moderated by Mirjana Matešić, director of HR BCSD and Barbara Zupančič, director of DC Slovenia. Panellists were asked about their experience and views on the number of women in business, about the ability of modern company to integrate inclusion of women and inclusion in general in their business strategies, about the awareness of women of their rights, as well of their strengths and ability to use empathy in the everyday work.

All panellists, Alenka Vidič Praprotnik (PR Ageny 028, Slovenia), Dorotea Pernjak Banić (JGL, Croatia), Barbara Smolnikar (Triglav, Slovenia), Martina Mlinarić (MSG Solutions, Croatia), Sanja Vučković (RBA, Croatia) and Eva Premk Bogataj (AEIOU Universe, Slovenia) highlighted that all women should be strong in voicing their abilities. They emphasised that more and more companies are working on inclusion of all vulnerable groups in their businesses, how women are equal players to men in all business endeavours and that education of all is the crucial part of gender equality and that more women in academia is crucial for more inclusive society. Additionally, panellists stressed that women should be proud of their ambition and they should work on building their networks and to embrace all specific skills that women bring to business. As one of the panellists said, women should ‘roar’ when fighting for their place in business society.

After a lively debate and a numerous questions and comments from participants, the round table was concluded, and we would highlight a few points expressed by Mr. Michael Stuber:

• Women should not carry the burden of making their case, initiating change nor educating each other or men! It is Organisation’s responsibility to monitor gaps and biases and tackle it
• Women only activities can promote stereotypes and polarisation – much more than 15 years ago. Mixed gender activities IN COMPANIES ARE PARAMOUNT – women only activities can happen outside the company, and
• Recent research has confirmed what we kept ‘preaching’ – only a well-constructed, synchronised and in this sense ‘engineered’ diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) approach will create positive impact and progress for women.

Working lunch - "Inclusion of People with Disabilities into the Labour Market"

The Diversity Charter Slovenia was established on 17.11.2017 and today represents a community of 182 signatory organizations (from economic, public and NGO sector) which are committed to promoting and implementing the values of diversity, equality, and
inclusion in the workplace and more broadly in society.

Among the signatories there is also the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which made public commitment to the principles of the Charter in 2019. During this year’s EU Diversity Month, his Excellency, Johan O.Verboom, hosted a working lunch on the topic »Work Inclusion of People with Disabilities«.

The invited guests exchanged views on the topic of employing persons with disabilities as one of the biggest and most vulnerable groups in the labour market.
At the working lunch, director of the Slovenian Diversity Charter, pointed out that Slovenia has a modern disability protection policy and is comparable to other developed European countries. But Slovenia also has challenges, like systemic arrangements for the transition of young people to the labour market, ensuring regional coverage of protected workplaces at
employment centres and companies for disabled people, we lack diversity of jobs, including different jobs for more educated people with disabilities.
At the same time, she pointed out that the labour market has changed significantly in the last 20 years, and that more and more employers today show good practices of work inclusion of people with disabilities. This is precisely why it is necessary to provide more
intensive support to employers and employed persons with disabilities and focus also on the career progression of employed people with disabilities.
The employment of diverse persons is not only a topic of social justice but is key to innovation with the Slovenian business environment. Research shows that diversity in the
workplace contributes to the company's good results. Companies with diversified employees are 35% more likely to achieve a higher financial return compared to other companies. There is also a 70% higher likelihood of them capturing more markets.
Diversity, inclusion and equality have always been a source of progress and development of a fairer society. They open up a way of thinking that really contributes to lasting solutions.

This communication was supported by 3 new signatories that committed to principles of DC
by signing the charter at the event:
- Embassy of France, her Excellency, Florence FERRARI
- Embassy of Romania, his Excellency, Anton NICULESCU
- Mr. Miha Menard, managing director, OC IMP Klima