On the occasion of celebrating International Women’s Day, CEMEX organised a webinar on gender equality for its employees. This year, special emphasis was placed on the role of men as allies in the fight for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities.
Dianna K. Descovich, founder of the MAMFORCE certification aimed at establishing practices in the workplace that promote diversity and inclusion and take care of gender balance and the balance of business and private life, discussed this topic with Mirela Kotarac, Director of Human Resources and member of the CEMEX Management Board.
“Today, it is clear to us that gender balance will be achieved only with the involvement of men in solving this important issue. It is a fortunate circumstance that men themselves increasingly recognise the importance of their active presence in family life and the growth and development of children, thus actively supporting their partners in fulfilling their work role. The possibility of using paternity and parental leave is an important link in that chain, and we are glad to witness an increase in the number of dads who decide to take that step,” said Dianna.
“Men need to be aware of the perspectives, experiences and challenges that women face on a daily basis. Only then can we change our environment, and later the world, into a place where we all have equal opportunities. Gender inequality also negatively affects men. For example, stereotypes and expectations can lead men to suppress emotions and vulnerability, which limits their ability to seek and receive support under the obligation to be dominant and independent. That’s why at CEMEX we want to use every opportunity for additional education on how equality and inclusion are lived every day in every workplace,” said Mirela Kotarac.
Empowering women benefits not only individuals, but also society as a whole, enabling economic and social growth, as well as healthy competition. CEMEX Croatia currently employs slightly more women than the industry average, and the company’s top management has an equal ratio of men and women.
In addition to being the holder of the MAMFORCE certificate, CEMEX Croatia is also a signatory of the Croatian Diversity Charter. In 2019, they published the company’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Policy, and for years he has been collaborating with various institutions to implement initiatives with a special emphasis on empowering women in the communities where he operates, in order to promote education and encourage social entrepreneurship. Since 2020, it has been a signatory to the United Nations Principles for the Empowerment of Women, guidelines for promoting gender equality in the workplace, market and community.
