This month, we had the pleasure of hosting a learning circle between some of our Gender Equality Champion of the Year Award 2024 winners and our associates.
The session was a chance to dig into the details of the exemplary gender equality practices that make our winners industry leaders, as well as the significance of this award.
We heard from Magda Kiehl, Senior Vice President Legal, Compliance & Security at Accor Americas, representing the Accor Brazil Embrace Program – our 2024 Accommodation winner. The Embrace Program supports survivors of domestic violence all over Brazil, turning Accor hotels into places of safety and opportunity. To date, it’s hosted 800 women and 1000 children, provided around 6300 nights of lodging, and 1026 social, legal and psychological consultations to the survivors.
We were also joined by Sustainable Business Manager María García Llorente and ESG Communication Specialist Lucía Roldán Molinero from Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, our runner-up in the Accommodation category. The hotel group has made Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) a pillar of its corporate culture, including robust policies and initiatives on gender.
Here are three key takeaways we gleaned from their insights during the discussion.
The Power of Partnerships
While explaining how Accor Brazil got the Embrace Program off the ground, Magda spoke to the importance of partnerships for advancing initiatives of this kind.
The programme was launched during the pandemic, a moment when gender-based violence was at an all-time high. Accor Brazil’s gender diversity and equality network felt compelled to act on this issue, in keeping with the global brand’s mission to fight violence against women. But they lacked the expertise to roll out a programme supporting survivors.
So they reached out to the Avon Institute, the social investment arm of the cosmetics company, which had a history of working on projects in this area.
On top of this, they partnered with local NGO Bem Querer Mulher. This organisation plays a critical role in liaising with state organisations and the estate agency, as well as following up support for the women beyond the programme.
It’s clear this collaboration with partners has been vital in making the Embrace Program as impactful as possible.
The Award Helps Amplify Impact
The validation and recognition from winning an international award can also help businesses scale their impact. That’s been the case for the Embrace Program, which has secured more grant funding from both Accor and Avon since being named Gender Equality Champion of the Year.
Magda also believes the award win will help strengthen future bids as they seek funding from other associations, to make the programme more sustainable and enduring.
This kind of award not only generates more impact for the winners and shortlisted candidates at an individual level. It also inspires more impact across the industry. As Lucía from Minor Hotels commented, she believes this recognition as a Gender Equality Champion will motivate other hotel brands to step up their commitments to gender equality.
Boosting Employee Engagement
Another recurring theme during the Learning Circle was how championing gender equality enhances employee engagement.
From María, we learned about how Minor Hotels’ dedication to gender equality, and diversity and equality more broadly, is beneficial in attracting and retaining talent. Employees are more likely to stay with a company where they feel valued and respected.
Talking specifically about the award, Lucía noted that the team is also proud to be part of a company that’s achieving recognition on this issue. She added that when the employees are proud of you, it motivates you to keep pushing forward the gender equality agenda.
Magda echoed their sentiments. For the Accor Brazil gender network, the award is a signal they’re on the right path and is a reward for the hours and dedication they put in.
For more perspectives from a 2024 Gender Equality Champion, read our Q&A with our Travel & Destinations winner Eternal Landscapes Mongolia.
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