This Friday (Jan-28), Samarco launched its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Program. The online event had the participation of employees and contractors of the company, who reflected on the theme, not only within the professional environment, but also regarding the contribution that each one can bring to society. The program was created to strengthen actions to foster equity in terms of race, gender, people with special needs and LGBTI+. The initiative is in line with the changes proposed by Samarco, aiming at doing mining differently, which also depends on an increasingly inclusive and diverse environment.
The CEO, Rodrigo Vilela, highlighted the importance of the action, which emphasizes respect for people. “Talking about diversity reinforces our essence, our values and guides us into the future, towards our purpose of doing mining differently. It is no wonder that one of our values is respect for people. We work to go above and beyond and promote an environment where everyone can express themselves freely and feel safe in being who they are,” he underlined.
In 2021, Samarco carried out a comprehensive diagnosis in partnership with the Mais Diversidade consulting firm to support the structuring of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program. The first action was the creation of the Diversity Committee, with the participation of employees, as explained by the general manager of Human and Organizational Development, Vera Lucia.
“It is a joy and a responsibility to implement such a strategic program, not only because it is an important lever for our cultural evolution and sustainability platform, but also because of the role that initiatives like this have in the social changes that our society has been experiencing. Diversity has the potential to broaden awareness and raise human capital, by forming a broad, plural, rich repertoire and enabling the exchange between different views, experiences and knowledge, contributing to people's engagement and the construction of creative and innovative solutions with significant potential for transformation”, emphasized Vera Lucia.
The launch event featured the panel “Stories that Inspire” with testimonials from the CEO of RM Consulting, Rachel Maia, the director of Operational Risk at Itaú, Rita Carvalho and the head of Mental Health at Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Luiz Zoldan. The managing partner of Mais Diversidade, João Torres, and the director of BHP, Nelly Pazó, also participated.
Promotion of Diversity
The topic of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is nothing new for Samarco, which prohibits any type of discrimination against people, as expressed in its Code of Conduct. Moreover, the company participates in the exclusive working group on Diversity and Inclusion, of the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram), and signed the letter of adhesion to Women In Mining Brasil, a global movement that aims at expanding and strengthening the participation of women in the mineral industry.
Another action is the monitoring of induction programs for new employees. In the internship program, 52% of the hired professionals were women and 58% were dark-skinned. In the trainee program, resumed this year, 54% are women, 32% are dark-skinned and 4% are people with special needs. Another important point was a specific program for laboratory professionals that absorbed 100% of people with special needs.