Closing Remarks at the Executive Dialogue with Private Sector on Rights, Diversity, and Equality at Workplace

By Francesco d'Ovidio, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste at the Executive Dialogue with Private Sector on Rights, Diversity, and Equality at Workplace, 27 October

Statement | Jakarta, Indonesia | 27 October 2015
  • Representative from Ministry of Manpower
  • Representative from the trade unions
  • CEO and High Level Managers from private companies
  • Representative from USAID
  • Co-organizers of the event, UNDP, HiVOS and the Economist
Selamat siang (good afternoon)

I would like to begin with warm congratulations to all participants for completing this half-day workshop. I do understand how difficult it is to find time to sit here and contribute to the discussion.

We are here to work together to improve LGBTI rights and mainstream diversity and equality in the workplace. In the light of the objectives of this half-day dialogue, I believe that we have successfully identified the major issues and possible approaches on this issue. Participants joined the discussion with full energy and motivation, and shared their experiences and lesson learned which covered a wide range of relevant issues in LGBTI rights and employment.

We have agreed that LGBTI rights are human rights. As Mr. Douglas Broderick has highlighted in his opening remarks, although the Indonesian Labour Law clearly forbids any form of discrimination, many LGBTI individuals still face challenges and barriers in accessing decent work.

The ILO study on Promoting Rights, Diversity and Equality in the World of Work has shown that in the workplace, many LGBT people experience stigma and discrimination at all levels of employment: when looking for a job, going through the recruitment processes, maintaining their jobs, and obtaining promotions. These intolerant attitudes towards LGBT people are a stumbling block towards achieving non-discriminatory workplaces.

The ILO reaffirms its commitment to promoting decent work for all women and men, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers are equally entitled to the right to be free from discrimination at work.
It is becoming increasingly evident that promoting diversity makes good business sense. Nearly 90 per cent of Fortune 500 companies prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and almost 60 per cent of them extend benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees.

The question arises what do we do now? To answer this, a few things can be immediately followed up when we go back to our respective organizations to disseminate the updates that we shared here with our organizations’ members and relevant stakeholders.
Government, Employers and workers’ organizations are key agents for change. And the ILO is committed to doing its part to promote the rights of LGBT workers amongst our constituents.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of participants for your cooperation during this half day dialogue and especially for your attempt to enhance concrete implementation in the near future. I also thank co-organizers of this event, our sister agency, UNDP Indonesia, HiVOS and the Economist, Charles Goddard, Jessica Brown.

I would like to close this dialogue with a quote from our Director General, Guy Ryder, “LGBT workers entitled to equal rights and benefits at the workplace”

Thank you very much.