Diversity management: Networks

Digital materials and tips

Text last updated: 2025-01-08

Offers and information

Many organizations, associations and initiatives support companies and employees in business and administration in their management of diversity. They carry out anti-discrimination work on sexual and gender diversity and provide information, offers and advice.

Anti-discrimination work on sexual and gender diversity

The following overview presents some established networks. You will find the corresponding links in the sidebar.

  1. Different & Equal
    ANDERS & GLEICH provides information and anti-discrimination work on sexual and gender diversity in North Rhine-Westphalia. The campaign supports the self-help and communities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people (LGBTIQ*).
  2. FUMA e. V. - Fachstelle Gender & Diversity NRW
    The state central specialist department for child and youth welfare in NRW is committed to gender-equitable and diversity-reflective work with children and young people. The aim is to enable them to develop in a way that is free from prejudice and stereotypical expectations. To this end, FUMA supports youth and family welfare institutions and providers in the fields of training, advice and support, develops methods and materials for practical use and initiates practical projects for professional development in child and youth welfare.
  3. German LGBTIQ+ Business Chamber (GGLBC)
    The GGLBC aims to increase the visibility of European LGBTIQ+ businesses so that they become a relevant group in their local business community. It wants to increase the social acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people so that they can become influential players. Diversity should be a relevant value in the business world, leading to strong collaborations and creating unique business opportunities.
  4. Inter* NRW
    The website collects a wide range of topics and offers information for everyone who is concerned with the topic of inter*.
  5. State specialist office blick* - LGBTIQ* structures in rural areas
    In rural regions in particular, the blick* regional office creates synergies between people and structures on the topic of LGBTIQ* in order to facilitate broad-based awareness-raising, impetus and networking on sexual and gender identity and to strengthen the visibility of queer communities in rural areas.
  6. State Coordination Trans* NRW
    The Landeskoordination Trans* NRW is a specialist office to support groups and services for and by trans* people in North Rhine-Westphalia and to provide information to professionals and institutions.
  7. State Coordination Inter* NRW
    The website of the Landeskoordination Inter* NRW offers a collection of counseling and self-help services for inter* people and their relatives as well as information for professionals.
  8. PROUT AT WORK
    The aim of the PROUT AT WORK Foundation is to advocate for a working environment that is open to all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The PROUT AT WORK Foundation wants to create a visible, tangible and tangible publicity of LGBTIQ* issues in the workplace. The foundation makes concrete offers for companies and employees.
  9. Queer Network NRW
    The Queer Network NRW is a state-wide professional association for organizations of the LGBTIAQ+ communities. The network connects, advises and strengthens services in the areas of self-help, empowerment, anti-discrimination work and many other fields. It also carries out political lobbying work in the field of sexual and gender diversity - by and for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, pansexuals, asexuals, trans*, inter* and non-binary and queer people in NRW.
  10. Völklingen Circle
    The professional association Völklinger Kreis e. V. (VK) is the network of gay executives and self-employed people and the partner for professional advancement, appreciation and equal opportunities in the workplace. The association is committed to a non-discriminatory working and living environment for gay executives and supports diversity management in business, administration and organizations.
  11. Business women
    Wirtschaftsweiber is a network for lesbian and successful women in business. The network advises lesbian women on discovering their full professional potential and advancing their career development. The network also supports companies in recognizing and promoting the potential of their lesbian employees.

Further information Links to read more

The following links will take you to the organizations, associations and initiatives presented:

Different & Equal FUMA e. V. German LGBTIQ+ Business Chamber Inter* National office blick* Trans* state coordination National Coordination Inter* PROUT AT WORK Queer Network NRW Völklingen Circle Businesswomen

You can download a guide "Implementing diversity management with a focus on LGBTIQ* in SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)" here.

Leitfaden Diversity Management
 pdf, 240.77 KB

A training course on diversity management, developed by the Institute for Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Research (IDA), supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular in training and sensitizing HR managers. Follow this link to a manual and the necessary documents.

Training manual

We have compiled a list of helpful tools that can support you in your diversity management here.

Supporting tools

Numerous studies have been published on the topic of gender diversity in employment and occupation. You can find a selection here.

Studies on diversity management

A selection of terms with brief explanations of sexual and gender diversity can be found here.

Glossary