On Women's Day, the company reinforces the importance of offering opportunities to female employees to have a sustainable and innovative environment
Neoenergia sees in its employees the strength of the sustainability of its business and, therefore, has been carrying out an internal movement to make the company's culture even more inclusive. Focusing on promoting diversity and gender equality, the company has structured internal actions such as, for example, carrying out more inclusive selection processes, equal pay and training leaders to manage diversity. The initiatives are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with which the group is committed to which the group is committed.
“To provide sustainability in management, it is important to invest in a diversified, inclusive environment and this, consequently, can make it more innovative. There is no growth without companies looking at people strategically, considering them important stakeholders for their business. Everything needs to be balanced, aiming at the same goal”, says Neoenergia CEO Mario Ruiz-Tagle.
The pillars of diversity and inclusion are continuously reinforced and are part of Junt+s, Neoenergia's Diversity Program. The initiative seeks to promote a work environment of empowerment, respect for differences and combating prejudice. Another strategy is the Equal Opportunities and Conciliation Policy, which does not admit any type of discrimination based on race, color, age, sex, marital status, ideology, political opinions, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or any other personal, physical or society condition among its professionals.
The company also provides free training to residents of its concession areas, through the School of Electricians school. The initiative is part of the company's Internalization Program, which, in the opposite direction of the crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic, increased job opportunities for project students by 60%. Women are the target audience both in training and in hiring, with the aim of promoting female insertion in a profession predominantly occupied by men.
The company was a pioneer in opening, in 2019, exclusive classes for women in Neoenergia Coelba (BA) and in Neoenergia Pernambuco (PE), an action recognized as a global example of one of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by WeEmpower, a UN Women program with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Union to encourage good practices in companies.
In addition to the initiatives already implemented in the company, a campaign will be carried out during the month of March, in reference to Women's Day, to strengthen Neoenergia's position in the fight for gender equality. Among the activities, there are lectures on female empowerment and the development of women for leadership, as well as a conversation circle about the imposter syndrome. To directly sensitize men, they will be the target audience for a talk on mansplaining (when a man tries to explain something obvious to a woman) and maintainrupting (when men interrupt women unnecessarily)
Support for areas of operation
The support's premise is to expand women's participation in the social and professional context, seeing sport as an agent of social change, which promotes principles such as healthy living, respect, good example and discipline.
The company also works to encourage local entrepreneurs in their businesses. An example is the support to the Community Association of Louceiras Negras da Serra do Talhado, an entity formed by women from the Quilombola Community of Serra do Talhado Urbana, in Santa Luzia (PB), a city where important renewable generation and transmission projects of the company are located, the Chafariz Wind Complex the Luzia solar plants and the Santa Luzia transmission line. The artisans produce pieces of clay, such as pots and vases, and benefit from promotional materials to give greater visibility to the work and entrepreneurship course.
Through theInstituto Neoenergia, two projects were launched in 2021 to value female leadership initiatives: the Impactô Mulheres and the Inspirar Award. Impactô is a social acceleration project carried out in partnership with the Ekloos Institute, which for the first time had an edition exclusively aimed at NGOs and social businesses that had women as main managers, founders or co-founders. The Inspirar Award was created to recognize women who promote social transformation through art and culture in peripheral communities.
