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Santander Embraces Gender Equity and Diversity

Santander, a global financial institution, is making significant strides in promoting gender equity and diversity within its operations. One of its Business Resource Groups, EmpowHER, was launched in 2017 and has grown to over 1,200 members across the SanUS footprint.

Santander has set ambitious commitments to achieve gender diversity by 2025. Notably, the bank achieved its goal of having female representation on the board between 40% and 60% by 2021, a feat they accomplished in 2019 and currently maintain.

In Chile, Santander has made impressive strides in gender diversity at the management level. Through leadership programs, unbiased selection processes, and succession plans focused on gender, they have managed to have 28.6% of their managers being women.

Santander's commitment to gender equity extends beyond its boardroom. The bank is actively involved in mentoring women in business leadership through programs for Breakthrough's clients. They are also sponsoring various initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality, such as the "Who Cares?" Business in the Community report, which challenges traditional gender and caregiving roles.

The bank is also collaborating with Girl Move on an internship program that invests in the training and development of young Mozambican women. In Poland, Santander is promoting women leaders, and in Spain, Ana Botín interviews chef Pepa Muñoz about Spain's hotel and restaurant industry post-Coronavirus.

Santander's initiatives are not just limited to Europe. They are supporting female entrepreneurs worldwide, including through the Mujeres con S. mentoring program, Women in Tech initiative, "De Mujer a Mujer" program, "Reencuentra" program, and various events to promote gender equity.

The bank's efforts are also focused on fostering a culture of inclusion. They have a strategic plan on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) that includes programs to promote equality among employees in all countries they operate. They have invested significant resources toward social impact and inclusion initiatives, which typically include gender equity as a key component, supported by around 1,000 dedicated staff working on such projects with a notable financial commitment of €1.5bn over 2023-2027.

Santander's initiatives are embedded within a broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and social inclusion framework. They are committed to addressing issues such as the gender gap in investing and financial decisions, supporting financial education events around International Women's Day.

The bank is also actively addressing the importance of diversity at events like the Santander WomenNOW RESET conference. They have launched programs like the SPARK Sponsorship program, which invests in diverse emerging top talent, and leadership programs to promote the development of women, such as Mujer 360, Mastermind, 30% Club, or Mujer Líder Santander.

Santander is also addressing the issue of gender violence through programs aimed at prevention and elimination. They offer fully paid shared maternity/paternity leave for up to 23 weeks and fully paid paternity leave for 5 weeks.

In recognition of their efforts, Santander has received recognition from the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index 2023 for excellence and commitment to equality. They also appear in The Times Top 50 for Women, a list of the 50 best companies in gender equality.

Santander's initiatives are making a difference. Mercedes Cruz Hilpas, Diana Arias, Rita de Cássia, and many others have been supported by Santander to start up, reawaken, or find their way in a new setting. Lavandería Romeral, a small business, has also received Santander's support to help them move forward.

In conclusion, Santander's current gender equity and diversity initiatives are embedded within a broader ESG and social inclusion framework, supported by substantial financial investment and dedicated teams to promote culture change and inclusion across their businesses.

Santander, acknowledging the importance of financial education and inclusion, is sponsoring various initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and supporting financial education events around International Women's Day.
In addition to promoting diversity within its own operations, Santander is also investing in the training and development of young women, as seen in their collaboration with Girl Move on an internship program in Mozambique.
Recognizing the need for diversity and inclusion in the science, health-and-wellness, and women's health sectors, Santander is promoting womens' leadership through programs like Mujer 360, Mastermind, 30% Club, or Mujer Líder Santander.
Santander's commitment to diversity and inclusion extends beyond the business world. The bank is actively addressing the issue of gender violence through programs aimed at prevention and elimination, offering fully paid shared maternity/paternity leave, and supporting programs for survivors.