Fostering Allyship and Inclusion: Pride month at Hitachi
June has marked Pride Month, an important moment to showcase acceptance, equality and the work of LGBTQIA+ people. This year is particularly poignant as it marks the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which is widely considered to be a pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement.
We believe action speaks louder than words and as we have celebrated Pride Month at Hitachi throughout June, we have continued our ongoing work to increase awareness of LGBTQIA+ topics, with a specific focus on allyship and unconscious bias.
Supporting the LGBTQIA+ community is a collective effort where every colleague is responsible for creating a welcoming environment. We all must work to raise awareness, support colleagues as positive role models of inclusion and show support and speak up when we see injustices.
One way we have acted on the focus of allyship is through issuing a revised version of our Global DEI Policy, which now includes LGBTQIA+ as one of two new global themes (the other is Disability & Neurodiversity). As well as focusing on building allyship and psychological safety, the policy also promotes awareness and understanding for the LGBTQIA+ community.
This month we globally released a new version of our LGBTQIA+ toolkits for all colleagues, designed as a practical guide to make our workplace LGBTQIA+ friendly and provide “Must-Knows” about gender identity and sexual orientation as well as tips and examples on inclusive language and behaviours. We have identified actions each individual can take to foster an inclusive culture where everyone is treated fairly and feels respected, heard, and involved.
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Our colleagues were also invited to share their insights and stories during a series of internal events throughout June: Pride Dialogues. This includes a platform where everyone can share their pledge to support the LGBTQIA+ community and foster progress on inclusion.
We were also pleased to sponsor the Tokyo Rainbow Pride for the first time, which took place from 19th-21st April and saw Hitachi colleagues celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community alongside others.
At Hitachi, we recognize the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), not just during Pride Month and other key calendar moments, but 365 days of the year. We strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, age, background, race, religion or physical ability. When we are inclusive, everyone feels accepted, valued and empowered to speak up and contribute. This is critical for our business, which is powered by innovative thinking and great teamwork.