Snacks company expands diversity, equity and inclusion programs

Snacks company Mondelēz International in the Philippines says it aims to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for its employees and the communities where it is present.

"We stand for creating a workplace where our people can be themselves, regardless of religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or background," shares Aileen Aumentado, People Lead of Mondelēz International in the Philippines.

"In our workplace, we value each other. Our work on DEI has centered on creating a best-in-class organization where our colleagues who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community can be the best they can be. We also empower allies, to stand for belonging and speak out against discrimination."

Among the company's DEI practices are providing gender-neutral and inclusive policies and benefits, providing organizational support through guidance of senior leaders, enabling self-identification particularly on the use of pronouns and names, education and networking opportunities, and social responsibility and thought leadership on inclusion and diversity.

The Philippines is the first country in the Southeast Asia business unit of the company to have a workplace policy that outlines three basic gender rights: the right to a preferred name; the right to dress to reflect identity; and the right to safe spaces. It also has gender-neutral parental leaves, regardless of birth method (biological or adoption).

Empowerment and thought leadership LGBTQ+ Pride Month is an important celebration for Mondelēz International. Last Pride Month, the company held a discussion to help inform other companies on how to strengthen their DEI initiatives in their own workplaces.

Mondelēz International also partnered with the organization UP Babaylan of the University of the Philippines in Diliman to paint a pedestrian crosswalk in rainbow colors.

Established in 1992, UP Babaylan is the longest-existing, duly-recognized LGBTQ+ student organization in the Philippines and in Asia. "By working with UP Babaylan, we want to extend our DEI messages outside of our Company," said Aumentado.

"It is important for us to express public support for the LGBTQIA+ community and proactively help influence the workplace culture of our partners and stakeholders." Working with Pride and #ProudToBeMe organizations

Since 2021, Mondelēz International has been a member of the Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP), a collaborative, voluntary and non-profit community of LGBTQ+ advocates and allies from private organizations in the Philippines.

During its LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebration, Mondelēz International invited Fire Sia and Earl Tan from PFIP to speak about its ongoing Standards Playbook project.

This aims to provide a guide for companies who wish to strengthen their DEI practices. One of the key pillars of the playbook is to provide examples of other companies who have pioneered DEI initiatives as a way of life for their organizations. The Playbook is released late this 2022, and Mondelēz International is one of the participating companies in its formation.

Another partner that Mondelēz International relies on for DEI advocacy is public relations agency Castro Communications, which has established a name not only for PR partnerships with the top brands in the Philippines but also for its role in pushing the LGBTQ+ agenda.

The Philippines is the first country in the Southeast Asia business unit of the Mondelēz International to have a workplace policy that outlines three basic gender rights. Speaking during the Pride Month discussion, Castro PR's managing director, Janlee Dungca, spoke about the importance of their work in representing the community. She shared, "I am proud to be me because I unapologetically live my truth as a transgender woman every single day. I know that my value isn't dependent on and goes beyond my SOGIESC."

She continued, "In Castro PR, we make sure we are a safe space for our LGBTQIA+ siblings by always upholding best practices on diversity, equity and inclusion. These include holding talks and conversations about SOGIESC and gender sensitivity, having gender-neutral restrooms, encouraging LGBTQIA+ applicants for job openings, providing equal company and healthcare benefits to all our employees, encouraging them to step up as leaders, and making sure that we work with a healthy mix of LGBTQIA+ suppliers and key opinion leaders in our PR campaigns."