SchOUTing with Pride
This year we celebrated Pride 2020 virtually with a number of events and initiatives.
This year we celebrated Pride 2020 virtually with a number of online events and initiatives, reinforcing our commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
Our SchOUT campaign emphasises that visibility matters. We encouraged our employees to stand up against social injustice by both being an ally, and encouraging others to become allies.
Employees organised their own Pride 2020 virtual parties and highlighted their support both internally and externally.
In her blog to mark Pride Month, Claire Smith, Alternatives Director, shares her experiences of being "out" at work through her career, the significance of being a female LGBT+ role model and reflects on the importance of equality.
“When I transferred to Schroders, I settled in and really focussed on doing my job as well as possible. After around a year, when I felt I had a bit more time to focus on extracurricular activities, I decided to join SchOUT, one of the Inclusion groups. The main reason for this was that being a woman in finance, I never had many female role models, and basically zero female LGBTQ+ role models. I hoped that by being open about my sexual orientation, perhaps younger LGBTQ+ women would see that being out wouldn’t affect your career and you would be treated equally and have the same opportunities as everyone else.
“I feel really proud to work in such an inclusive company as Schroders - where diversity isn’t just accepted but is actively promoted. I feel very fortunate to work in a company and to have lived in countries where I’m able to be my authentic self and not have to hide or suppress part of who I am.”
We also supported the Albert Kennedy Trust and True Colors United, two charities focusing on LGBTQ+ youth that are homeless or living in hostile environments. This at-risk population is facing exceptional challenges on the back of the pandemic and our help is much needed.
Peter Harrison joined one-hundred investment and savings industry leaders in this year’s LGBT Great Pride campaign. Read more about the Top 100 Executive Allies.
Our commitment
Schroders is focused on becoming an employer of choice within the industry and that includes being an employer of choice for LGBTQ+ individuals. Inclusion is more than a corporate responsibility – it is a moral requirement and business imperative.
We would like to see more organisations showing visible support for LGBTQ+ inclusion, such as LGBTQ+ and ally senior executive role models who are vocal and proactive in their support for LGBTQ+ issues and individuals.
We believe this could be achieved by, for example, celebrating employees who act as role models by talking about their experiences, and by companies providing a platform for sharing.
It is also important to acknowledge this in the context of #BlackLivesMatter, and the QPoC (Queer People of Colour) who have played a key role in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. It is critical that organisations listen, and take action to further support their mission for equality and inclusivity.
Visibility matters, and this mission is far from complete.
SchOUT is just one of our employee-led inclusion groups at Schroders, find out more about our commitment to driving diversity and inclusion at Schroders.
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