REDI, Portugal’s new LGBTI business inclusion network
The LGBTI Diversity and Inclusion Network (REDI), created by 24 founding companies and law firms, officially launched its activities in Portugal yesterday, with a public presentation coinciding with EuroPride Lisboa 2025. The event, held at the Cuatrecasas Auditorium, marked the public debut of a business network focused on promoting LGBTI inclusion in the Portuguese corporate world.
REDI, a private social solidarity institution (IPSS), is the first ecosystem of companies and professionals in Portugal dedicated to promoting safe and respectful work environments for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics.
The founding companies of REDI are Grupo Ageas Portugal, Airbus, Brico Depôt, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Cuatrecasas, El Corte Inglés, Nippon Gases, PLMJ, PwC Portugal, Repsol, Siemens, SONAE, Colgate-Palmolive, Esprinet Portugal, FCC Construcción Portugal, Gilead, Hydro, and Uría Menéndez Abogados. The list also includes Amadeus, BCD Travel, CCSL Advogados, GCIMEDIA Group, L’Éléphant, and pur’ple. The event also welcomed new members: Inditex (as a large company), and Tinkle and Kyowa Kirin.
Change and diversity
“Today we are presenting to society a project made in and for Portugal. REDI Portugal aims to be a key ally to companies committed to change and respect”, stated João Mattamouros Resende, president of REDI Portugal, lawyer and partner at Cuatrecasas.
LGBTI individuals often do not feel safe in workplace environments: according to ManpowerGroup’s Diversity at Work (2021) study, 46% do not disclose this aspect of their identity during job interviews. Nearly 4 in 10 LGBTI individuals have been the target of jokes or derogatory remarks in the workplace, and the absence of an explicit commitment to LGBTI diversity and inclusion leads many to forgo rights or work-life balance measures, according to the Annual Report on Discrimination Against LGBTI+ People in Portugal (2020–2022), by ILGA Portugal.
Nonetheless, diversity creates value for businesses. From a competitiveness and productivity standpoint, companies with higher diversity are 39% more likely to outperform less diverse peers financially (Diversity Matters Even More, McKinsey, 2023). In terms of talent attraction and retention, 76% of job seekers consider an inclusive culture important when choosing where to work (Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Survey, Glassdoor, 2020).
About REDI
According to the organization, the launch of REDI marks a significant step toward increasing LGBTI visibility in Portuguese workplaces and reinforces the commitment of participating companies to advancing more inclusive, equitable, and diverse organizational cultures.
The launch brought together representatives from the founding companies, business professionals, allied organizations, and notable figures in the field of diversity advocacy. The program featured a corporate roundtable on the importance of diversity in leadership and corporate culture, the presentation of membership certificates, and an inspirational talk.
