At Iberdrola México we consider diversity, equality and inclusion a strategic priority to improve as an organization, attract talent and achieve sustainable long-term growth at the company. It is because of this that this year, for the first time ever, we have spent a whole week talking about gender equality, sexual diversity, sexist attitudes in the workplace and the reality experienced by people with disabilities, as well as reviewing our accomplishments in terms of diversity and inclusion and setting goals for the future.
The week kicked off with the fourth edition of the Women with Energy Forum in Monterrey, in which Iberdrola México’s CEO, Enrique Alba, and management team members signed a set of undertakings to speed up the company’s progress in the fields of diversity, equality and inclusion.
In addition, one hundred employees participated in a workshop held by Ana María Flores, a gender equality expert from the organization Aequales, and attended the “Generating a Culture of Inclusion” conference by Cecilia de la Vega, which was transmitted online for the rest of the staff, as well as customers and suppliers.
The second day of activities focused on the inclusion of the LGBT+ community, based on conversations among five people representing different letters of the LGBT+ acronym. Their experiences helped the Iberdrola People understand the importance of talking about sexual identity and emphasized that our policies prohibit any type of discrimination against people from this community in our offices and headquarters.
The third day of the week addressed sexist attitudes in the workplace. The conversation sought to draw attention to attitudes that we perceive as normal and harmless, but which are actually sexist reactions to the environment, as well as to understand how a workplace can be genuinely inclusive of women and minority groups, making managerial positions genuinely attainable for all people.
The inclusion of people with disabilities was the theme of the fourth day. The session led us to reflect on how we treat people with different disabilities and how much openness there is for them in workspaces, as well as understanding how a physical space should be optimized so that everyone can perform freely there.
The week ended with a visit to the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico City to continue raising awareness about the historical events that have shaped our notion of tolerance and how to carry on building it.
We also held a virtual event in recognition of the organizations that won the Partners for Inclusion contest, in which our staff proposed different institutions and non-profits that work in support of diversity and the inclusion of different minorities for the company to conduct activities with them.
At Iberdrola México we are aware that much still remains to be done and we will therefore continue to take big strides towards an increasingly diverse and inclusive company and help build a fairer society.
