Impact Report
2023-2024
From April 2023 to March 2024, Open For Business continued to be at the forefront of research on the economic benefits of LGBTQ+ inclusion. We grew from three local influencer programmes to four to include Southeast Asia, welcomed BlackRock as our newest coalition partner, and produced five research publications. Highlights included launching the ‘Investor Guide to LGBTQ+ Inclusion’ at Davos and hosting the first ever ‘LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Travel and Tourism Symposium’ in Barbados. This Impact Report demonstrates how business can be a driving force in advancing LGBTQ+ equality globally. We thank all our coalition partners, funders, collaborators for this success.
2022-2023
From leading a business response to the LGBTQ+ legislative crises in East Africa, to launching our 2022 Cities Ratings, and expanding our programs in the Caribbean, Kenya, and Eastern Europe, Open For Business' 2022-23 Impact Report demonstrates how the business and economic case for LGBTQ+ inclusion is supporting the movement for LGBTQ+ equality around the world. We thank all of our Coalition Partners, funders and collaborators for this continued success.
Welcoming new partners
2021-2022
Our 2021-22 Impact Report sets out how Open For Business has been mobilizing business action, driven by the evidence base, backed by solid data– in Africa, across Central and Eastern Europe, and in the Caribbean. We thank all our Coalition Partners, funders, and collaborators for this success.
Welcoming new partners
2020-2021
In 2020 we launched ambitious new programmes in Eastern Europe and the Caribbean and we continued to publish groundbreaking new research. Read our 2020-2021 Impact Report to learn the great progress we have made working to advance LGBT+ rights around the world.
Welcoming new partners
Five years of high-impact research
2019-2020
A truly global footprint
Our global impact on LGBT+ rights
Where Open For Business has worked, 2016-2021
Kenya
Re-framed LGBT+ inclusion from only a moral debate – it was discussed as a business and economic issue in the Kenyan national media for the first time
Report shows that LGBT+ discrimination costs Kenya up to $1.3 billion per year, or 1.7% of GDP – equivalent to 144% of government spending on healthcare
Headlines in major Kenyan media and 13 million impressions on social media
Fuelled a new dimension of advocacy – supporting local activists and civil society organisations by providing them with a new data-driven argument for LGBT+ inclusion
The Vatican
Facilitated an important new level of dialogue with the Vatican on the human rights abuses propagated by the criminalisation of same-sex acts
Secured initial support from the Catholic Church – the Secretary of State of the Vatican welcomed the conversation, condemned all forms of violence against all persons around the world and signalled his intention to look for common ground to collectively move the conversation forward
Prepared a new report aimed at framing a continued dialogue with the Vatican on LGBT+ rights, which has been shared with His Holiness Pope Francis
Working with the International Bar Association to secure a statement from the Vatican supporting the decriminalisation of same-sex acts in close to 70 countries around the world, potentially changing the lives of millions of LGBT+ people
Taiwan
Developed an Economic Brief to support the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan in their successful campaign to secure marriage equality
The Economic Brief was signed by a mix of Open For Business coalition partners and local Taiwanese businesses
This intervention made national media coverage, and the report was placed directly into the hands of legislators
The Freedom to Love
In response to Brunei’s April 2019 implementation of new laws that made gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death, Open For Business collaborated with the Virgin Group and the B Team to coordinate corporate action. As part of the international reaction, we published a letter entitled “Freedom To Love” that was signed by 21 CEOs and global leaders who condemned the anti-LGBT+ laws that currently exist in close to 70 countries around the world and called on other business leaders to collectively take action to advance LGBT+ inclusion globally.
The New Global Champions
Report shows that since 2015 support for LGBT+ inclusion has doubled in emerging market companies – even when they’re based in countries that are hostile or dangerous for the LGBT+ community
Contrary to common misconceptions, emerging market companies do not suffer any adverse financial consequences for supporting LGBT+ inclusion. Fears that talking about LGBT+ will somehow damage business are unfounded
LGBT+ inclusive companies see significantly higher portions of revenue come from international sources than non-LGBT+ inclusive companies
Strong media coverage (Bloomberg and the Economic Times) with pieces in Argentina, Brazil, Singapore, Canada and the US – close to 14 million impressions on social media
Following the report launch in New Delhi with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), we are looking to host events in Brazil and China