Lesbian Visibility Day – Employees Talk About Respect, Diversity and the Cultural Change Movement

Brazil’s National Lesbian Visibility Day is celebrated on August 29 to honor lesbian women’s fight for equal rights and against violence. Vale supports this movement and respects and recognizes same-sex relationships. All people deserve this respect, which is enforced through Vale’s Human Rights Guide, policy and Code of Conduct.

Danúbia Silva, integrated control analyst

Another initiative Vale launched in 2019 is the LGBTQIA + affinity group, which brings employees from Brazil together to “promote discussion, understanding and knowledge and exchange experiences for a more respectful, inclusive and pleasant work environment,” said Danúbia Silva, an integrated control analyst who has been with Vale for 19 years and joined the group last year. “Because I only discovered my sexuality after I was 30, I had to go through the process of deconstructing the paradigms and patterns that were deeply rooted in the context I was living in,” she added. “Affinity groups like the one we have create a space for free expression where minorities can bring up their issues and suggest measures to promote inclusion. This is a different way of looking at inclusion and driving cultural change within the company,” said the Minas Gerais-based analyst who works at the Vargem Grande complex, which has more than 90 employees in the affinity group. “In May of this year, we ramped up our initiatives to raise awareness about LGBTphobia.  In the Vargem Grande complex alone, we held two meetings to train the leadership, and the next step is to disseminate the message to more people in the operational area,” Danúbia concluded.

Pamella Almeida, maintenance planning and programming technician

The Maintenance Planning and Programming technician Pamella Almeida has worked at Vale for 10 years and is the group’s representative in the North Corridor, which has more than 130 members from the states of Pará and Maranhão. “At the age of nine, I already knew my sexual orientation was different than my peers’. As if accepting my own sexuality wasn’t painful enough, I have to fight a daily battle when it comes to inclusion in society and the workplace,” she says. For Pamella, highlighting dates like this is very important: “Every day is lesbian visibility day, because every day we feel like we’re in a shop window for people to gawk at, give their opinions, turn up their noses, frown at or praise. This commemorative day represents our right to have a voice, to command respect for all women, and to show that a woman is not less of a woman simply because she loves another woman,” she concluded.

Marcela Silvestre, administrative analyst

According to administrative analyst Marcela Silvestre, who has been with the company for 14 years, it is very important to have a way to discuss these issues and be a reference for other people who may be living in fear and seclusion. She believes the work that Vale is doing with the managers on this issue is extremely important. “I overheard my colleagues gossiping about my sexuality and it bothered me. One day, I called my manager and we went out for lunch—I needed to tell my story and I wanted her help to discuss this issue with the team. She was happy that I got her involved. We prepared something simple and direct and told everyone. It was a very special day. Everyone took it well, and what used to be a problem became a reason for pride and helped me integrate with my colleagues and relatives,” Marcela recalled.