Foundation signs the term of commitment for the pro-gender and race equity program

Last Tuesday (5/28), the Ministry of Women's Affairs held a signing ceremony for the terms of commitment that formalize the participation of companies and institutions in the 7th Edition of the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Program. The event, at the Banco do Brasil auditorium in Brasilia, was attended by the Minister for Women, Cida Gonçalves, government officials, representatives of UN Women, the International Labour Organization (ILO), company officers, partner organizations and members of the federal public administration. Fiocruz was one of the 103 companies and institutions that signed the term of commitment.

Fiocruz Chief of Staff, Zélia Profeta, represented the Foundation's Presidency at the ceremony and signed the commitment agreement (photo: Fiocruz Brasília)

With the signing, the participants made a commitment to implement action plans to promote gender and race equity in the organizational culture and people management of their companies. In March 2026, after the plan has been implemented, they must present a final report with the results achieved. The Ministry of Women's Affairs will announce those that stand out for their equality practices in May that year, and in June a ceremony will be held to award the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Seal.

Minister Cida Gonçalves highlighted that "it is essential to guarantee democracy, which represents the real face of the Brazilian people. With this program, we want to transform relations between men and women. This simple gesture may not cost the company any money, but it can save women's lives, allow them to enter the job market, rise professionally, grow in the world of studies, and it is also a civilizing initiative in a Brazil that is once again taking on its role in the world. These actions make a difference not only in the lives of women, but also in those of men and children".

A few days ago, the minister was in Geneva leading the Brazilian delegation that took part in the 88th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). According to her, the Brazilian government was heavily criticized in a panel of 23 international experts from CEDAW for the setbacks during the previous administration.

Fiocruz's Chief of Staff, Zélia Profeta, represented the Foundation's President at the ceremony and signed the term of commitment. "This federal government program is very important as it encourages companies to work with a view to strengthening the pro-gender and race equity. Fiocruz obtained its first seal in 2009 and, since then, it has been strengthening and expanding its actions in this area, first with pro-gender equity and then including actions for pro-racial equity."

With the signature, the participants made a commitment to implement action plans to promote gender and racial equity in organizational culture and people management (photo: Marina Maria, Cedipa/Fiocruz)

Zélia pointed out that, in 2023, President Mario Moreira's first act was to create the Coordination of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Affirmative Policies (Cedipa), linked to the Presidency of Fiocruz. "The goal is to implement actions across the entire institution that will ensure a deeper discussion and the implementation of policies for equity and inclusion. It will also strengthen the fight against racism, sexism, various forms of prejudice and violations of people's rights. To take part in a program like this from the federal government is to reaffirm the policy that President Mario Moreira has been trying to foster and strengthen at Fiocruz. Moreover, the proposal provides for the construction of a bank of good practices for gender and race equality in people management and organizational culture. So there is the possibility of disseminating what has been developed at Fiocruz to other institutions and companies". 

The deputy coordinator of the Coordination of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Affirmative Policies (Cedipa/Fiocruz), Marina Maria, who was at the event, said that "Fiocruz's participation in the seventh edition of the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Program is cause for much celebration. It is an important political act, to reinforce the current management's commitment to building concrete changes that will ensure that Fiocruz effectively seeks to tackle gender and race the inequalities that structure Brazilian society and which are evident in our daily lives, whether in workplaces, in education or in the services we offer. Planning actions to achieve this is no simple task. But being in the Program implies this even more institutionally. Cedipa is committed to Fiocruz's Pro-Gender and Race Equity Committee and its broad representation of units, offices and different sectors, so as to make progress in implementing the actions set out in the plan submitted to the Program. And using our Fiocruz's Ethnic-Racial and Gender Equity Policy as a reference. That in two years we can once again receive the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Seal. We will have a lot of work ahead of us, but we believe in working together to make progress".

ILO director Vinícius Pinheiro said that the work environment is often hostile to women and that they still face an unacceptable wage gap. He said that gender and race equity is also good for business. "More diverse environments are more productive", he said. The UN Women representative in Brazil, Ana Carolina Querino, stressed that "gender equality means good business, where companies gain from increased productivity and competitiveness. To achieve this, we need to promote an environment in which all talents are respected".

The director of Fiocruz Brasília, Fabiana Damásio, and the general coordinator of People Management (Cogepe/Fiocruz), Andréa da Luz, accompanied the signing ceremony. Among those present were the president of Banco do Brasil, Tarciana Medeiros, the secretary for Affirmative Action Policies and Combating Racism of the Ministry of Racial Equality, Márcia Lima, the secretary for Citizenship and Cultural Diversity of the Ministry of Culture, Márcia Rollemberg, and federal deputy Dandara Tonantzin (PT-MG).

Representatives of Fiocruz attend the signing ceremony in Brasília (photo: Fiocruz Brasília)

The program also meets the international commitments made by the Brazilian government. These include goals 5, 8 and 10 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Conventions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the G20 Brisbane Goals and the Beijing Platform for Action.

The companies and institutions that have joined the 7th edition of the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Program will generate around R$ 680 billion in the country's economy in 2023. Among them, Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Petrobras, PWC, Sabin Laboratory, Correios, Dow Brasil, Kenvue (Johnson's, Band-aid, Clean&Clear, Listerine, Neutrogena), Unilever, Bosch Brasil, Stellantis Group (Dodge, Fiat, Peugeot, Citroën, Crysler, Jeep, RAM), TIM and Eletrobras.

Pro-Equity Seal

Launched in 2005, the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Program aims to encourage the adoption of organizational policies and practices that develop new work relationships and eliminate barriers to women's access, compensation, growth and permanence in their careers. Companies with 100 or more employees, whether public or private, can participate. They will have the opportunity to obtain the Pro-Gender and Race Equity Seal, a federal government mark that recognizes equality initiatives in the workplace, actively combating gender and racial discrimination. The program is a Federal Government initiative, coordinated by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in partnership with UN Women, the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Ministry of Racial Equality and the Ministry of Labor and Employment.

Cedipa

The Coordination of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Affirmative Policies (Cedipa/Fiocruz) was created in March 2023, with the aim of implementing actions that ensure the effectiveness of Fiocruz's institutional policies on equity, diversity, inclusion and affirmative policies, recognizing the plurality of the institution as a value. Cedipa's lines of action are based on work that enhances and strengthens the dimensions present in the fight against racism, ableism, male chauvinism, misogyny, xenophobia, LGBTIphobia and different forms of gender violence and violations that hinder people's right to life.