EDP raises awareness of 70% of senior leadership to issues related to LGBTQIAP+
The company's goal is to train 100% of its leaders by the end of 2021
The fight against prejudice is strengthened in the LGBTQIAP+ Pride Month, but it is known that this agenda still needs to advance in society as a whole. In the corporate world it is no different than that. Having this understanding into account, EDP, a multinational that operates in the entire value chain of the electricity sector, has been training its entire leadership, in addition to strategic areas such as People Management, Marketing, Communication and Internal Audit, on issues related to gender and sexual diversity.
The training has been carried out in partnership with Diversity Bbox, a consulting partner of the Brazil Network of the UN Global Compact, led by Pri Bertucci, social artist, educator and researcher in the field of diversity.
So far, 70% of the EDP board has completed the training. The objective is to educate and raise awareness about LGBTQIAP+ diversity, addressing issues of gender identity, role and expression, affective-sexual orientation, intersexuality, in addition to topics such as neutral and inclusive language. By the end of 2021, the company's goal is to have 100% of its leadership trained.
This is one of the affirmative actions to increase the representation of LGBTQIAP+ people in the Company. Among the Diversity and Inclusion goals, EDP directs 50% of all its hires to effective vacancies for professionals from under-represented groups, including the LGBTIQAP+.
“Companies need not only to reflect diversity, but especially to promote actions to strengthen a culture in which all people can feel respect, welcomed and belonging. To address this challenge, it is essential to implement a consistent education and awareness-raising agenda. These are essential tools for valuing inclusive behavior and generating effective change at EDP and at society”, highlights Fernanda Pires, vice president of People and ESG at EDP in Brazil.
Other initiatives to support the LGBTQIAP+ cause
LGBTIQAP+ Pride Month also featured other EDP actions. On June 28, the company will promote a conversation circle created by the LGBTQIAP+ affinity group, with the support and participation of its patron, the vice-president of clients at EDP Brasil, Carlos Andrade. Furthermore, EDP launched at its corporate university and partner academy, an education platform aimed at suppliers, the course “The Value of Diversity”, including a specific module for LGBTQIAP+ issues. The Company also sponsored the DiverS/A Fair, the largest LGBTQIAP+ employment event in Latin America.
The most recent of the actions involves the Company's new headquarters in São Paulo, which will have inclusive bathrooms for all genders. This framework was conceptualized from the commitment to ensure an environment where people of all identities feel represented, welcomed and belonging. EDP also guarantees benefits such as 180 maternity leave and 30-day paternity leave, extending these benefits to LGBTQIAP+ couples. There was also a reformulation of the Ethics Channel, to build and monitor indicators related to the dimensions of diversity, in addition to psychological support and care offered to employees through its Social Assistance Program.
About EDP in Brazil
With over 20 years of experience, EDP is one of the largest private companies in the electricity sector operating throughout the value chain. The Company, which has over 10 thousand direct and outsourced employees, has six hydroelectric and one thermoelectric power plants, in addition to operating in Transmission, Marketing and Energy Services. In the Distribution, it serves approximately 3.5 million customers in São Paulo and Espírito Santo, in addition to being the main shareholder of Celesc, in Santa Catarina. In 2020, the company was elected as the most innovative in the electricity sector by the Valor Inovação ranking, of the Valor Econômico newspaper, and is a reference in Governance and Sustainability, having been on the B3 Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE) for 15 consecutive years.
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