Albania 
Czech Republic 
Deutschland 
Greece 
Hungary 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
Netherlands 
Portugal 
Romania 
Spain 
United Kingdom 
Asia-Pac Middle East 
Turkey 
DR Congo 
Egypt 
Ghana 
Kenya 
Lesotho 
Mozambique 
Nigeria 
South Africa 
Tanzania 
LGBTQ+ visibility has always been an important topic at Vodafone. With last week being Lesbian Visibility Week, we caught up with Sina, from the Vodafone Enterprise Marketing team in Germany to hear why she believes that LGBTQ+ visibility is particularly important in the workplace.
3rd May 2024
LGBTQ+ Visibility: Sina’s Story
Sina has been active in Germany’s Rainbow Network for two years to proactively promote this culture of diversity within the company.
“What is already noticeable at the network meetings is that lesbians are in the minority here. And survey results also show that many lesbians (like many other queer people) prefer to remain undisclosed within the company. Sexuality is not a decision, but coming out is and there are reasons for "swimming under the radar": The feeling of uncertainty about the reactions when lesbian colleagues visually conform to the female stereotype, the uncomfortably intimate questions from colleagues, or fears of being disadvantaged on the career path. Only with increasing visibility we can ensure that different treatment of lesbian women is no longer an issue and that we can all go about our work as normal without feeling insecure about it.”
"The fact that Vodafone attaches great importance to diversity and inclusion was the decisive reason for me to decide in favour of the traineeship at Vodafone when I started my career. I want and need to feel accepted and respected to be able to work efficiently".
"The fact that Vodafone attaches great importance to diversity and inclusion was the decisive reason for me to decide in favour of the traineeship at Vodafone when I started my career. I want and need to feel accepted and respected to be able to work efficiently".
"As one of many lesbian faces at Vodafone, some of whom are unknown to me, I want to show myself as I am today on Lesbian Visibility Day. To encourage others and also to show outsiders that we are not a taboo subject. I don't fit the female stereotype, I'm muscular and have short hair. I often don't have the choice to decide whether to be open about my sexuality or bring it to work. And even if it's sometimes exhausting to be asked again in the ladies' room whether you might have made a mistake in the doorway, I don't think that's such a bad thing. Visibility makes people - both those affected and outsiders - realize that lesbians don't just exist in entertaining TV formats in a socially accessible, often very feminine form. We are also normal colleagues, consultants, customers and neighbors. Just as diverse as the rest of society."
