For the second straight time, Braskem was highlighted in the Exame Diversity Guide. In an announcement by the magazine made last Thursday (4), Braskem was recognized as the Best Company in Chemical and Petrochemical industry. Last year, Braskem was recognized in the same category, figuring among those companies with above-average scores in all categories (gender, people with disabilities, ethnic and racial equality and LGBTI+).

The award is a result of Braskem's ongoing work through the Diversity & Inclusion Program, whose purpose is to promote the inclusion of minority groups and a workplace free of prejudice and discrimination. In addition to its more comprehensive actions, the initiative will be conducted on five fronts: gender equality, social and economic, race and ethnicity, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA. "As a people-oriented company, Braskem values diversity and inclusion as an essential part of our operation model. We believe in the power of human diversity, which is fundamental for creating more creative and innovative teams," said Debora Gepp, head of Braskem's Diversity & Inclusion Program.

The initiatives adopted by Braskem to make its workplace more inclusive and its workforce more diverse include training and awareness raising actions on the topic for leaders and team members and actions to increase the share of Afro-Brazilians in the college internship program.

Taking diversity seriously

In addition to being recognized over the last two years in the Exame Diversity Guide, Braskem's actions to combat inequality in the corporate environment already were being recognized in recent years. In 2019, the company received the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEP) Award from UN Women, and the Women in Leadership Latin America (Will) Award, both of which recognize companies with good practices for promoting gender equality and the inclusion of women in leadership. Braskem also was recognized by Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, the world's largest organization promoting LGBTQIA+ rights in the workplace, as the best Brazilian company in development of actions to foster the inclusion of this public, in 2018.