On January 25, 2021, Executive Order 2021-013 decreed “a state of emergency in Puerto Rico” due to the increase in cases of gender violence in the country. Since then, the Committee for Prevention, Support, Rescue, and Education (PARE, by its Spanish acronym) —chaired by Dr. Carmen Ana González Magaz, Secretary of the Department of Family Affairs— has been making efforts to raise awareness on the importance of this situation. These efforts include public hearings in different areas in Puerto Rico, including the participation of several non-profit organizations, community leaders, and professionals on the subject matter.
Evertec received an invitation from PARE to participate in the public hearings. Therefore, on September 1, aware of how important this issue is, we became the first private company to participate and clearly state our support, position, and recommendations before the Committee and the country.
The presentation was made by Paola Pérez, Evertec’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer, during the public hearing held in Canóvanas. She informed the audience about Evertec’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, gender equity, and women’s empowerment.
Evertec's position
One thing that was made abundantly clear by Pérez at the public hearing was that, at Evertec, “We have zero tolerance for violence, including gender-based violence, or behaviors that do not represent the values of our organizational culture or brand. We will work in collaboration to combat this evil facing our society.”
Additionally, Pérez informed that our company has an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy that states that, at Evertec, we believe in equality among individuals in our Company and provide equal employment opportunities. In fact, we have already taken this equity policy to different regions in Latin America, where the concept is not necessarily as developed as in Puerto Rico and the United States.
The presentation also provided an opportunity to report on the steps we have taken and implemented to address the situation of gender violence. Among them:
Promoting an open-door culture.
Promoting the benefits offered by our Employee Assistance Program.
Offering educational talks on the subject.
Having a People and Culture (Human Resources) team trained to handle these situations.
Providing different channels to report these situations, such as an ethics hotline, which is available to receive anonymous reports on any claims, an investigation protocol, and channels to report directly to senior management, among others.
We have made many efforts to make our company a truly inclusive workplace, including a corporate culture where women can take on leadership roles. This is part of our commitment to the advancement of women in the workplace.
Evertec has a commitment with Puerto Rico, with each of the countries where we operate, and with the development of a society free of gender violence. We believe that women are capable of changing the outlook of the technology industry and expanding business ideas.
Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to continue reinforcing diversity, equity, and inclusion as a suitable path for productivity and business growth.