LGBTQIA+

We are committed to fostering a safe and equitable environment where people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are supported to fully participate as volunteers, staff and partners and have equal access to contribute to positive development outcomes.

The Australian Volunteers Program aims to be fully supportive and inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community and be exemplary in our approach. Working towards a safe, supportive and equitable environment is an essential part of ensuring overall diversity and inclusion. We recognise that LGBTQIA+ volunteers, staff and partners have been and always will be integral to our success.

The Australian Volunteers Program acknowledges the significance of language and terminology and that the use of inappropriate language and terminology can be disempowering and, in some cases, harmful to communities and individuals. We believe that in order to effectively engage LGBTQIA+ people in our program, it is important to use the language and terminology that is used by them. We recognise that across the global community people use a wide range of terms to describe themselves depending on where they live and how they identify. We fully support local autonomy and strive to use local definitions and cultural terms in the countries we operate in.

Our approach to LGBTQIA+ inclusion is underpinned by a series of commitments. To fulfill this goal, we have created a statement that outlines our commitment and how we are working to achieve it. Read the program's Statement of Intent to learn more.