Reduced inequalities

As is customary each year, BBVA has been joining in the LGTBIQ+ Pride celebrations in a bid to spread the word among employees about the importance of creating safe spaces for everyone. Shining the spotlight on LGTBIQ+ role models has been working wonders by raising awareness in the countries in which the bank operates. “At BBVA we want to be an even more inclusive and open company, with more role models, more stories and more safe spaces,” remarks Cristina Gabriel, Head of Diversity at BBVA.

The numerous advances in the field of neuroscience allow us to understand in greater depth how the human brain and its different mechanisms work. “Energy designs our thoughts. Energy can be programmed, and therefore so can thoughts,” said Ana Ibáñez, an expert in applied neuroscience and a high performance brain coach, during a talk as part of the BBVA Tech Women program.

Employees of the financial institution commit to supporting the growth and development of BBVA's female professionals. In celebration of International Women's Day, the bank organizes workshops, talks, and various training sessions.

At the fourth annual Diversity Days, the bank launched a pledge to champion and support the universal values of human dignity, freedom, respect and equality. This new milestone marks the end of a year that has seen numerous initiatives in favor of diversity, including the target of 35% of management positions being held by women, implementing a protocol to fight harassment against LGTBI people, and launching a program to prevent ageism.

This pioneering initiative by Garanti BBVA will see this year a new category, ‘Women’s Cooperative of Türkiye’, aiming to recognize women’s efforts through cooperatives. Candidates may apply by filling out the form at www.garantibbvakadingirisimci.com until November 15, 2023.

Only 59.5% of LGBTI+ people are visible in the workplace. This was made known by the Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gais, Trans, Bisexuales, Intersexuales y más (FELGTBI+) at the talk on 'Family diversity and its visibility in the workplace' held in conjunction with BBVA on the occasion of International LGBTI+ Pride Day.

The bank has published an in-house guide to raise awareness among employees of the value of generational diversity. The goal is to confront any lingering prejudices about people’s age. "At BBVA, we have up to four different generations under one roof. We want to drive home the point that everyone here, regardless of age, is highly capable and brings value and talent to the bank," said Heather Spratt, who leads the BBVA employee group concerned with safeguarding generational diversity at the bank.

The 2023 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index measures companies’ commitment and transparency in the presentation and monitoring of gender data. BBVA is listed on this benchmark index for the sixth year in a row with a score that is above the average for all companies; above the average for companies in the finance sector; and above the average for Spanish companies.

BBVA sees the challenge of diversity as one of the most important strategic pillars of its corporate culture and a wealth to be promoted. To this end, BBVA Switzerland is joining the Group's diversity and equality initiatives with a new project with WeBloom, a Swiss organization dedicated to diversity, inclusion and sustainability in science and technology.

The bank celebrates the third edition of Diversity Days, an internal event to promote diversity, inclusion and equality in the workforce through activities, conferences and events throughout the week. As part of Diversity Days, the bank informed its workforce about its Diversity Guidelines, a general guide for action that makes respect for differences, and thus for diversity, a fundamental pillar of the company’s strategy.

Garanti BBVA is supporting an important space for women entrepreneurs in Türkiye. The bank is joining forces with the Women in Trade Platform, which was launched by KAGİDER (Women Entrepreneurs Association of Türkiye), to support women entrepreneurs who contribute to the development of the Turkish economy.

In an organization as large and diverse as BBVA, with more than 110,000 employees in 25 countries, we are bound to encounter different family models that go beyond the one formed by two adults of different sex and one or more children. To better understand each type of family and their specific needs, the bank has created a guide to make that diversity visible. “We want to raise awareness that there are other family models besides the conventional one. At BBVA every family has their place, and we are under a duty to be aware of the needs and specific features of each one,” explains José Antonio Gallego, Diversity Discipline Leader at BBVA.

Over 2.9 billion people around the world have never used the internet. Whether through lack of infrastructure or gaps in learning, unequal access to ICTs (also known as the digital divide) is an obstacle to development. We explore what options are available to heal the wound that affects 37% of the world's population.

Women in Banking (WIB) was created with the purpose of leading and promoting conscious change regarding the value of women in decisive positions in the Spanish banking sector. The initiative was launched thanks to the backing of the Spanish Banking Association (AEB in Spanish), and seven other banks promoting it : BBVA, BNY Mellon, Citi, Deutsche Bank, ING, Sabadell and Santander.

The financial institution is launching the second edition of the BBVA CIB Female Graduate Training Program, an initiative to incorporate 20 fresh female graduates in the BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking area. This initiative offers the opportunity to unlock the potential of the selected women with immersive training for a year that includes placements in different teams and countries before joining the workforce. This program is aligned with the bank's diversity strategy and shows the bank's commitment to promoting female profiles in areas where they are less present.

For the fifth year in a row, the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (2022 Gender Equality Index) has included BBVA in its annual report that analyzes companies’ commitment to this issue. The firm lists the bank due to the diversity and inclusion that helped it improve its rating by five points from the last edition. Garanti BBVA, the Group’s subsidiary in Turkey, is also part of the index.

‘Vamping’ is a term that comes from the English words ‘vampire’ (vampire, animal active at night) and ‘texting’ (sending messages) and refers to the practice, carried out mostly by teenagers, which consists in making excessive use of electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, consoles... just before going to sleep. As a result, their rest is affected due to the reduction of the necessary hours of sleep and the effects on our body produced by the light from the screens. This phenomenon is causing many young people to suffer from early insomnia.

A lack of role models, stereotypes and difficulties accessing funding make it hard for women to launch businesses. Committing to work-life balance, redefining the face of entrepreneurs and new business and digital models are some key aspects that could help make entrepreneurial opportunities more egalitarian.

Although male stereotypes dominate science and technology, the reality is that these areas are becoming increasingly diverse and more women are gradually landing technical jobs. Today, February 11, on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, four professionals from BBVA's Engineering and Organization unit share their views on how to tear down barriers and get young girls more interested in tech jobs.

BBVA was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year. The financial institution, which has placed diversity as a business objective, improved its rating by five percentage points compared to previous editions thanks to its policies of promoting equal opportunities in professional growth and an inclusive corporate culture, according to the international agency. Garanti BBVA, the Group´s Turkish subsidiary, is also included in the index.

The World Health Organization promotes Breast Cancer Day every October 19 to  raise awareness about the commitment of society as a whole to the fight against the most common form of cancer in women. For yet another year, BBVA is organizing a fundraising campaign via Bizum, the leading instant payments solution in Spain, to encourage customer donations in support of the Spanish Association Against Cancer. As an additional gesture of solidarity, this morning, the bank lit up its headquarter buildings in Madrid, La Vela, in pink.

Carlos Torres Vila participated in an event sponsored by the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, entitled 'Unstoppable women: Challenges to and achievements of reinvention in times of crisis'. The event, chaired by Queen Letizia of Spain, shone the spotlight on the work of Latin American women entrepreneurs and technology’s key role in propping up their resilience against the economic impact of the pandemic. Development experts from organizations such as SEGIB (Ibero-American General Secretariat), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), UN Women and representatives of technology companies such as Google also took part in the event.

Talking about racism and racial inequality can be uncomfortable but necessary.

April 7th is World Health Day, and this year the World Health Organization has decided to call special attention to the essential role of nurses and midwives. Amid a world pandemic with incalculable consequences for humankind, the invaluable contribution these roles play is as apparent as ever.

As long as bots continue to harbor gender bias, they will continue contributing to the perpetuation of gender inequality. This is why BBVA Next Technologies, BBVA’s advanced software company, is working to reduce this kind of bias, leveraging technology to bridge the gender gap.

During the week leading to International Women's Day, BBVA held a series of events to celebrate the organization's advances in gender diversity. An event co-organized with the Inspiring Girls Foundation, in which a group of prominent women have shared their testimonials to inspire BBVA’s female workforce.

Diversity is a fundamental cornerstone of BBVA’s approach to people management and training. The holistic method the bank has adopted to address this topic encompasses the values of equal opportunity and inclusion. One of the initiatives to promote these values is to provide employees with the tools to help them remove barriers that hinder female talent and work-life balance. 'High Potential Women' is an example of one of the initiatives significantly contributing to this task.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, BBVA’s Turkish franchise has launched a new initiative called ‘Women are the future.’ Garanti BBVA has reserved its digital channels, social networks and screens at branches for the winners of the contest, Turkey's Women Entrepreneurs Competition.