It is enough to take a look at the world around us to see that diversity is a fact, but that inclusion is a choice, a key component that we decide to add, or not, to the glasses through which we understand reality. At Globalvia we have always been an organization that welcomes and accepts each individual as they are, paying attention to the intrinsic value they bring to our organization with their abilities and unique talent.

Starting from this starting point and, in order to answer this question that we ask ourselves, we quickly find the first reason: talking about Inclusion and Diversity in certain forums continues to generate controversy at times. For this reason, we have set ourselves the mission of promoting and working for Diversity and Equality in Globalvia, of course covering all areas and spheres, but from now on, with a special focus on LGTBIQ+[1] inclusion.

The second reason that we share is based on something more than a mere question of concepts and is that “what is not communicated does not exist”. We firmly believe that it is important to name things, put them on the table and thus give them visibility. We have often heard the argument that everyone is free to do whatever they want in their private life. However, this argument remains incomplete when we are later unable to transfer this freedom to the mere fact of being able to communicate it openly in the work environment. Either because a certain situation is not normalized, because no one before us has dared to make it visible, or because we are afraid of the possible reprisals that this may entail.

According to the study “LGBT Diversity in the Labor Context in Spain”[2], there is a piece of information that is especially illuminating to illustrate this reality. Among the sample surveyed and belonging to the LGBT community, only 38% of those surveyed stated that they were out of the closet at work.

Among the main reasons for hiding themselves, those surveyed indicated wanting to keep their personal life separate from work, as well as avoiding rumors that change personal assessment, fear of rejection, fear of professional doors being closed, fear of being fired or the effort of having to give explanations.

Some of you will think that not talking about private life in the work environment is a choice (of course, like everything in life). However, as an expert in the field shared with us during one of the REDI presentation talks, the Diversity and Inclusion Business Network to which we have recently joined, we encourage you to try a little experiment. It consists of trying to spend a week without sharing absolutely anything about your private life in the office. Just think about it hypothetically and… voilà, it might as well be a bit difficult to achieve. Can you imagine the state of alert in which one has to live to avoid leaking information about his private life? Will the person who finds him or herself in this situation be able to perform 100% at his job? We doubt it. We are not CIA agents. We are people working with people for 8 hours every day, it is normal that we want to share concerns and experiences from our private sphere.

The third reason to promote equality and diversity in the company is that doing so allows you to attract and retain diverse talent. By having teams made up of people of different origins, genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations and abilities, we gain a better ability to innovate and propose creative solutions to problems that arise in the business. By approaching a problem from different perspectives and realities, we can find more complete approaches. In addition, this contributes to a better representation of society in general, which is essential to make more equitable decisions with which we do not leave anyone out. It also allows us to establish a greater connection with our users and the communities to which we provide our services.

In summary and to finish, what we want to convey is that we do not find any reason why addressing Diversity and Inclusion in Globalvia or in any other organization could be detrimental to the company and its workers. On the contrary, by doing so and making ourselves visible as a diverse and inclusive team, we all contribute to creating a workspace in which everyone can be themselves without having to deny or hide any of the fundamental parts of their identity.

Finally, if you differ from this opinion, which is totally respectable, we hope, at least, that we have managed to open a small window for reflection from a different perspective. We are delighted to welcome you to open a healthy debate that is nourished by that diversity of which we declare ourselves faithful defenders.

Globalvia Madrid Talent, Communication and CSR Team.

[1] Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and other diverse sexual and gender identities. “L” stands for lesbian, “G” for gay, “B” for bisexual, “T” for transgender, “I” for intersex, and “Q” for queer-identifying or challenging gender and sexuality norms. The symbol “+” is used to include other identities and expressions that are not specifically represented in the acronym.

[2] ‘La Diversidad LGTB en el contexto laboral en España’, a study directed by Óscar Muñoz and prepared with the collaboration of Banco Santander, AXA, Grand, Nationale-Nederlanden, Telefónica and the IE Diversity Center.