Standard Chartered US Earns Top Score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index

Standard Chartered US recognized as a leader in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion for five consecutive years

December 8 2023, New York – Standard Chartered United States (the “Bank”) today announced that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (“CEI”), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. This year is the fifth consecutive year that the Bank has received a perfect score.

“Being recognized as the recipient of the Equality 100 Award for five consecutive years is truly inspiring,” said Patricia Fuster, Standard Chartered Chief Information Officer for Europe and Americas and Chair of Americas’ Diversity and Inclusion Council. “At Standard Chartered, we strive to be a champion for equity, diversity, and inclusion. This recognition showcases our consistent efforts to drive meaningful progress towards creating a workplace where everyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, can feel welcomed and celebrated for who they are.”

The 2023-2024 CEI includes 1,384 participants – representing tremendous growth from only 319 participants in 2002 (the first year of the survey). Further demonstrating the remarkable trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from only 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe. The Bank’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion recipient.

“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr Director of Workplace Equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families.” 

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million outside of the U.S. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

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About Standard Chartered
We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 52 of the world’s most dynamic markets and serving clients in a further 64. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Our history in the US dates back to 1902, and we are currently present in eight locations throughout the Americas. Our Americas franchise focuses on financial institutions and select corporations and plays a key role in facilitating trade and investment flows between the Americas and Asia, Africa, the UK and Europe and the Middle East.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges.

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About the Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work

Media contact:
Sammi He
Standard Chartered Americas
Sammi.he@sc.com