UNDP joins UN statement on LGBTI rights
On the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is associated with a Joint United Nations statement in Vietnam recommitting their support to the country’s efforts to promote equality and equity for LGBTI people, establishing a solid foundation for full access to the educational, social and healthcare services they need, as well as the required opportunities to fulfil their ambitions and aspirations.
Statement issued to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) on May 17. Photo by UNDP
Every person, without distinction on any grounds, has an equal right to live free from violence, persecution, discrimination and stigma of any kind. Human rights are universal. Cultural, religious and moral practices and beliefs, and social attitudes must not be invoked to justify human rights violations against any group, including LGBTI persons.
Ending the marginalization and exclusion of LGBTI people is a human rights priority and a development imperative. The UN Human Rights Sub-Committee of Experts on the Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has stressed that working to leave no LGBTI persons behind is fundamental to several international human rights standards as well as the achievement of SDG 3 on good health and well-being.
In Vietnam, there has been encouraging progress in recent years. The annual Viet Pride has been celebrated since 2012, the ban on same sex marriage was removed in 2014, and legislation was enacted in 2015 providing a legal basis to change one’s legal gender identity. The UN also welcomes the engagement of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice with the LGBTI community and partners through public consultations for the new legislation on legal gender recognition.
Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam, shared stories about the community in Vietnam. She recently heard from Le Xuan Tu, a 31-year-old technician at the Cua Dat Hydropower Plant in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. “I have been working at this hydropower plant for 7-8 years. My work is good so far. The fact that I belong to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community doesn’t affect my job here,” he said.
At his company, people’s wages and benefits are based upon their work and performance. Tu is a very active member of his company’s youth union. He plays sports such as volleyball, badminton and football. He has joined entertainment competitions held by his corporation and the communal administration and won prizes. “We are very happy for Tu and the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and Biphobia is a good opportunity to celebrate Vietnam’s remarkable progress in the protection of LGBTI persons in recent years. This progress has seen a growing base of civil society advocating for the inclusion of LGBTI people in the country, greater awareness and public discourse on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and intersex status, and the launch of Viet Pride in 2012, the first-ever pride event to take place in Vietnam,” Ms. Wiesen said.
However, not every LGBTI person is as lucky as Tu. Discrimination against LGBTI persons is still prevalent in Vietnam. According to a survey, 30 per cent of LGBT people said that they were denied employment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Even after getting a job, 33 to 50 per cent of LGBT respondents said that they would hear and witness negative comments and acts from colleagues, superiors, clients or business partners. In addition, 13.5 per cent of LGBT respondents answered that they were paid less than others in the same position with the same skills, with 22.6 per cent responding that they were denied promotions and 20 per cent of LGBT respondents saying they were reassigned to other posts, because of their sexual orientation.
Such forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity during the job application process, and even after employment, make it very challenging for the LGBTI community to openly express their gender identity and truly feel comfortable in the workplace. Ultimately, this situation prevents them from reaching their full potential.
Not only is discrimination against LGBTI persons unjust, but not promoting the inclusion of LGBTI persons can work as a stumbling block to growing business in Vietnam. Breakthrough ideas are more likely to take place where diverse perspectives, experiences and identities are embraced.
A recent study on Stanford Business School graduates revealed that those entrepreneurs with the most diverse friendships scored three times higher in terms of innovation, evidently showing that inclusion accelerates creativity in business. Innovation is a pre-requisite for businesses to survive and grow, especially in this rapidly changing environment, with new technologies, emerging markets and changing preferences of consumers.
Notwithstanding the “business case” for promoting diversity and inclusion, enterprises must recognize their growing influence and impact on society and assume their responsibility to respect the rights and dignity of their employees, whether they are LGBTI or not, and their wider impact on human rights, the environment and society.
One important step in doing so is to uphold the “Standards of Conduct for Business in Tackling Discrimination Against LGBTI People”, adopted by leading multinational companies with the UN in September 2017, and the “UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”, which were unanimously endorsed by UN member states at the Human Rights Council in 2011. These standards, principles and guidance can help business better understand their role in respecting human rights and take concrete and practical steps to mitigate, prevent and redress violations of human rights.
Eighty-seven per cent of Fortune 500 companies now have policies that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, pursuing greater equality in the workplace. Multinational companies such as IBM, KPMG, PwC and Baker McKenzie, who are pioneers of the inclusion initiative, can share their experiences and offer guidance for Vietnamese companies in promoting an LGBTI-friendly environment.
Listening to the call of multinational businesses in Vietnam, Vietnamese businesses can adopt global diversity and inclusion examples. By championing the inclusion of LGBTI persons, they will have the opportunity to explore diverse ideas, which will boost innovation and growth of Vietnamese businesses.
The UNDP has provided platforms for businesses, government officials, development partners, and community groups to gather together and talk about LGBTI issues, including the “Innovation through Inclusion Conference” held in January. To further promote the rights of LGBTI persons, efforts will be made to revise the Labor Code of Vietnam to include sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds for discrimination. The UNDP will also continue to provide training to LGBTI youth entrepreneurs, to accelerate social innovation and leadership and further promote LGBTI inclusion.
Leave your comment on this story