Action will benefit people served by 15 institutions, supporting the fight against menstrual poverty in the areas of operation of the company
Neoenergia's Volunteer Program made a donation of more than 150,000 tampons destined to 15 institutions in seven cities where the company operates – Brasília (DF), Campinas (SP), Natal (RN), Recife (PE), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), as well as Salvador and Vitória da Conquista (BA). The initiative contributes to the menstrual dignity of the people who will benefit and is aligned with the company's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially number 3, related to health and well-being promotion, and 5 on gender equality.
In Brazil, 713,000 girls live without access to a bathroom or shower in their homes and more than 4 million do not have access to minimal items of menstrual care in schools, according to a study on menstrual poverty released last year by UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund). "We know that the lack of resources and infrastructure hinders access to menstruation care, which can harm health and represent a barrier to the school and professional development of people who menstruate. The action of our employees helps in combating menstrual poverty and adds to other initiatives of the company to comply with the SDDs and the social benefit for our areas of activity", says the Manager of Internal Communication and coordinator of the volunteer program of Neoenergia, Clayton Freire.
The collection of tampons took place during the month of March, when the International Women's Day is celebrated. In Salvador, neoenergia Coelba (BA), 78,400 products will be destined to the institutions Associação Plenitude do Amor (APA), Associação Cultural Malcolm X, Projeto Social Abelhas, Coletivo Mulher por Mulher - Mãos Acolhedoras and ONG Direito de Viver. Employees of the distributor donated another 4,500 absorbents that will be delivered to the NGO Acolher and the NGO Cheios de Amor, both from Vitória da Conquista.
16,100 tampons were collected by neoenergia Pernambuco volunteers, which will benefit street children and adolescents assisted by The Marco Zero University in Recife. Employees of Neoenergia Cosern (RN) donated more than 20,700 products to the organizations Missions Kerigma and Instituto Vida Videira.
The Filhos Campinas Project, in the city where Neoenergia Elektro's headquarters (SP) is located, will receive about 12,300 absorbents collected by the company's employees. Neoenergia Brasília volunteers donated approximately 16,600 products, which will be delivered to the Cor do Amor Project, the Maria Bonita Women's Institute and the Alma Lavada Brasília organization. In addition, in Rio de Janeiro, where the company's headquarters are located, 6,100 tampons will be given to the Women of Attitude and Social Commitment Association (AMAC).
Volunteer Program
Neoenergia encourages voluntary work and permanently offers opportunities for engagement through its own online platform, used by Iberdrola Group companies. The company also has an online space with vacancies offered directly by NGOs, in partnership with Transforma Brasil. Today, about 2,000 employees of the company act as volunteers in various initiatives.