Gender equality, a competitive advantage for companies

Although Latin America presents improvements of the gender equality within companies, it is a “competitive advantage” have a strategy diversity not only in “terms of economic benefits” if not then “build a much more egalitarian society”considered the vice president of human resources for Latin America at Kellanova, Guillermo González.

In addition, benefits have been observed in the region in remuneration and female representation in management and leadership positions, however, parity in this area in Latin America and the Caribbean is at a 65.2%.

This percentage places Latin America as the third with the lowest score, ahead of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Asia, according to data from the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023.

To improve in this aspect, “conversations, training with leaders, and understanding what is important today for talent, both men and women in organizations, is a key part”González explained in an interview with EFE.

On the other hand, the manager explained, education – through training – also “it’s crucial” so that inclusion reaches the entire company, both for senior management and for the majority of the entire workforce.

Goal: Equality

In this sense, in 2023 six capacity development initiatives were carried out throughout the region, involving more than 400 participants and offering 77 hours of learning with the aim of accelerating the growth, development and training of its female talent pool.

Through these actions, the American agri-food firm has managed to exceed the 2025 Aspirational Goal of Gender Parity with a 50.3% of female representation in the first quarter of 2024.

“We obviously have some areas that are a little lower, such as operations, but our goal is that in 2030 all functions and all levels have the same representation,” González pointed out.

Once this objective has been achieved, the company “plans not to let its guard down in any sense, on the contrary,” the manager pointed out.

“We maintain the aspiration of having that representation and continuing to make it much more interdependent and effective and, as we move forward, we also want to reinforce how we are represented towards our consumers, towards our environment and towards our employees”he pointed.

“What we are going to do is continue working together on this objective of achieving equity in the organization, but also seeking to generate that impact on society,” Add.

He also encouraged all organizations to work towards the goal of equality.

“I would encourage those who are perhaps a little further back in the process to redouble their efforts and put equity and inclusion at the center of the business strategy, since this really brings the benefit of being much more successful, but, above all, everything, to make a better society”he finished.

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