March 21 2023
Welcome to
Happy Conference 2022
Join us, participate in this positive change and embrace diversity and inclusion more and better
How heterogeneous is your workplace? Let's see: how many women hold leadership positions in your company? Is your team racially diverse? Are there queer people? Do employees come from different socioeconomic backgrounds? Is your workplace accessible to people with disabilities? And finally, have you ever wondered about these issues? When we work in homogeneous spaces for too long, we forget about the diversity of people and the potential that each one possesses. In fact, although our society is very diverse, boards, leaderships and teams do not always reflect it.
Diversity is an asset for companies: it brings innovation, encourages critical thinking, expands the customer base, and most importantly, creates a sense of purpose and belonging among employees. The truth is, people do want to fit in, but they also need a safe space to be themselves without fear of being judged or undervalued. They want to be heard and understood so that they can do their best and propose their ideas freely. Therefore, as key players in social and civil responsibility, companies must ensure safe and inclusive spaces. After all, if we want a more just and tolerant world, why not start with the places where people can develop and reach their potential?
Discrimination is not experienced in the same way by everyone. Although there are initiatives to promote inclusion and reduce discrimination in companies, there is still a long way to go. We need to continue to invest in equity and inclusion so that safe spaces for equality and respect for difference are created. What is the portrait of people who still face injustices in the labor market due to their identity and characteristics, in Portugal and in the world?
82%
of employees say that they have witnessed at least one form of discrimination
and 63% have already been discriminated against.
61%
of women surveyed consider they experience barriers in their career progression, compared to men, who feel more discriminated against by age (61%)
The majority of leadership positions in companies are still occupied by men.
56%
of non-Caucasian respondents have faced barriers to their career progression or have been rejected in a particular job because of their ethnicity
.
25%
only 25% of the persons with disabilities (PWD)
registered at the job center in the Portuguese labor market are employed.
And why is it so important for workplaces to be diverse and inclusive?
A workplace that excels at diversity and inclusion ensures that everyone feels equally involved and supported. As a result, since employees feel more secure and accepted, they become more efficient and turnover decreases.
On the other hand, societies are inherently diverse, so companies with employees who reflect this diversity are more aligned with the demographics of the areas in which they operate. This means they can better understand the needs and interests of diverse audiences, thereby expanding their messages and promoting their products and services to a larger customer base.
Lastly, employees with different experiences and perspectives can bring innovative ideas and solutions that in turn benefit the organization and drive creativity and innovation. While diversity has some challenges, the benefits are far greater. Collective genius generates better results, and in the most positive and healthy way.
We invite leaders and their teams to join us at Happy Conference 2023 | An Everyone Culture: Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. Throughout this afternoon, we will work on empathy and active listening, learn from experts in the field of diversity and inclusion, and absorb the reality we want to change through the words of those who have felt discriminated against and who bring ideas and solutions that we can all adopt for the reality we want to build. By deconstructing our unconscious biases and learning from experts, we will be able to build more diverse and fulfilling organizations for a more inclusive future.
On March 21, 2023, at 3:00 PM GMT, we will meet at Teatro Tivoli BBVA, in Lisbon, with streaming to the world. Companies will be able to buy tickets for a physical experience, a virtual one, or a combination of both.
This year, for companies that purchase the Happy Corporations packs, in addition to the conference, they will have
access to a series of thematic virtual workshops - which we have called Bits of Knowledge on Diversity and Inclusion - and also to an exclusive in-company workshop to work on the transposition of the conference messages to the company's organizational reality.
Join us, participate in this positive change and embrace diversity and inclusion more and better.
This year, for companies that purchase the Happy Corporations packs, in addition to the conference, they will have access to a series of thematic virtual workshops - which we have called Bits of Knowledge on Diversity and Inclusion - and also to an exclusive in-company workshop to work on the transposition of the conference messages to the company's organizational reality.
