A diversity charter is a document that outlines an organization's effort to create an inclusive and diverse workplace. It includes a set of principles or commitments involving organizational leadership, executives, and employees. These principles may encompass fostering an inclusive culture, promoting equal opportunities, combating discrimination, and supporting

diversity Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to: Business *Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce *Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers * ...

in all its forms, including aspects such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Diversity Charters can vary in different regions or industries, as they may have their own versions with specific goals and commitments.

History

The initial stride towards this document was taken in January 2004 in France, where was signed the first diversity charter in Europe, focusing on workplace diversity. Six years later, in 2010, the diversity charters from various EU nations united to form the EU level exchange Diversity Charter Platform.

Signatories in European countries

, diversity charters have been introduced in 27 EU countries, encompassing Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Netherlands, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Malta and Sweden.

Main pillars

A diversity charter, within the context of a workplace or a group of people, is a document that recognizes diverse attributes within a collective of individuals and is founded on six key pillars: race, age, gender (

gender diversity Gender diversity is equitable representation of people of different genders. It most commonly refers to an equitable ratio of men and women, but also includes people of non-binary genders. Gender diversity on corporate boards has been widely ...

), religion, sexual orientation (

sexual diversity Sexual diversity or gender and sexual diversity (GSD), refers to all the diversities of sex characteristics, sexual orientations and gender identities, without the need to specify each of the identities, behaviors, or characteristics that form ...

), and cultural background (

cultural diversity Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to Monoculturalism, monoculture. It has a variety of meanings in different contexts, sometimes applying to cultural products like art works in museums or entertainment ...

Companies

Over 12,800 companies and organizations became signatories of the diversity charter, encompassing a collective workforce of more than 16 million employees. Several companies, including

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

, Puma,

Enel Enel S.p.A. is an Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas. Enel was first established as a public body at the end of 1962, and then transformed into a limited company in 1992. In 1999, following the liberali ...

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...

Ogilvy The name Ogilvy may refer to: *Ogilvy (name) *Clan Ogilvy *Ogilvy (department store), in Montreal, Canada *Ogilvy (agency) Ogilvy is a New York City-based British advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. It was founded in 1850 by Ed ...

, Edenred,

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

Boehringer Ingelheim C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer (1861–1939) in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's List of la ...

Kotsovolos Kotsovolos () is one of the leading electrical and electronics retailers in Greece. It started as a small neighborhood store in downtown Athens in 1950 and today has a network of over 90 stores, in Greece and Cyprus, both corporate and franchise, ...

, and

Papastratos Papastratos () is a Greek tobacco company and is the largest manufacturer and distributor of cigarettes in Greece. The company was formed in 1930 by Evangelos Papastratos with its first factory located in Piraeus. Its second factory opened in 1933 ...

, have signed the document, signifying their commitment to promoting diversity in the workplace.

References

{{reflist Documents 2004 introductions Diversity (business)