Women's Day (March 8): BBVA employees commit to gender equality

Creating a diverse and inclusive society is a top priority for BBVA. The bank recently set a goal to have 36.8 percent of its management team being women by 2026. "This commitment leads to tangible actions that are fostering the professional development of women at every level within the organization, driving sustainable and meaningful change," says Cristina Gabriel, BBVA's Head of Diversity. The program promotes mentoring initiatives to bolster female leadership, organizes events to showcase success stories, encourages continuous training to close skills gaps, and has established policies to ensure fairness in promotions and pay.

"Promoting the development of women is seen not just as a necessity, but as a strategy for growth and strengthening the organization. Beyond these actions and objectives, we are laying the groundwork for a future where every woman has the confidence to reach her full potential. This year, we are concentrating on providing useful tools and spaces that stimulate the careers of our professionals," she adds. To support this initiative, the bank has encouraged its staff to sign a personal commitment to fostering the growth and development of the women working at BBVA. “We want to open up a pathway where women not only occupy prominent roles, but also lead with all their talents,” says Gabriel.

For International Women's Day, BBVA has arranged a series of talks and activities featuring experts in leadership and empowerment, emotional intelligence, health, and wellness. Notable speakers include writer and communicator Elsa Punset, researcher María Ángeles Durán, and body language expert Eva García.

Inspirational women

As part of its initiatives, BBVA has aimed to spotlight women leaders across various fields to inspire other women. The educational program 'BBVA Let's Learn Together 2030' has collected testimonies from women who deliver powerful messages on leadership, tolerance, resilience, and cooperation. Additionally, the BBVA Microfinance Foundation (BBVAMF) organized a joint event with UN Women to emphasize the importance of fostering synergies to tackle the challenges of advancing equality, both in Spain and Latin America. BBVAMF supports over 1.7 million women entrepreneurs across five Latin American countries, and its data indicates that in 2023, seven out of every ten entrepreneurs who rose out of poverty were women.

To wrap up the day, BBVA, in collaboration with Inspiring Girls, has organized events in seven Spanish cities featuring inspiring stories of women who have overcome significant challenges. These include Fariba Qureshi, a judge from the Supreme Court of Afghanistan who is now a refugee in Spain; Sara Andrés, a Paralympic athlete; MariaLu Torres, the first podcaster with a stutter; and SuperLu, a nine-year-old activist advocating for the rights of people with disabilities.

Among the 100 best companies for gender diversity

BBVA's gender diversity program has recently been recognized by Equileap. Its Gender Equality Global Report & Ranking recently included BBVA among the top 100 companies in terms of gender diversity. BBVA improved its position with respect to the previous year and is the only Spanish bank listed. This ranking evaluates nearly 4,000 companies in markets around the world.