Nowadays, there are no doubts as to the added value of diversity for teams: more creativity, innovation, commitment and better performances. But, much more than that, and more than a trend or corporate goals or obligations, when we speak of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we are, above all, speaking of doing what is right for our people and for the communities where we are operate. But have companies, and society in general, been able to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive? Not really… if we focus on the gender dimension, we are still witnessing the underrepresentation of women in management positions, while women’s pay is still lower than men’s, even when performing identical roles.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 by the World Economic Forum reveals that, if nothing is done, it will take us over 130 years to bridge the gender gap, worldwide. The pandemic’s negative effects on this path to gender equality are already widely acknowledged. In a period marked by uncertainty, women were the ones most affected by the impacts of the pandemic. This is something we cannot ignore. If gender inequality was already a serious social and corporate issue, the pandemic has only come to heighten it.
At Sonae, this issue is not new. Yet, we are always looking to improve and we know we still have a way to go in order to be a truly inclusive and equitable organisation, gender-wise. For that reason, and understanding that gender diversity is a critical factor for the success of every organisation, we are working towards reaching a balanced gender representation at Sonae, especially in leadership positions. And the needle has already began moving: in 2019, women held 34% of our leadership roles and, by the end of 2020, they already held 36%. Our goal is to reach 39% by 2023. And this path has already brought an international recognition, with the inclusion in Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2022. Only 418 listed companies from around the world were selected for their best practices and policies to promote gender equality.
Finally, it is important to point out that this is not an issue limited to leaderships, but rather an indicator we follow throughout each stage of our employees’ lifecycle. Sonae is committed to Gender Equality and, through specific actions – like the "Projeto Promova”, for example – we are focused on promoting dialogue, breaking barriers and realising the unconscious bias that drives us to unintentionally perpetuate the inequalities that still linger in this matter. We want to guarantee that we are contributing to building a more diverse, equitable and inclusive organisation and society.
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