ENGIE, leader in renewable energy and decarbonization solutions in Brazil, together with Group partners, Jirau Energia and Transportadora Associada de Gás – TAG, announced the winners of the fourth edition of the Women of Our Neighborhood program, the aim of which is to support women and enhance gender equity in the country. The target audience is women small entrepreneurs from the various municipalities where the project’s partners in the Group conduct their activities. One of the new initiatives during the year was the priority given to vacancies in the project for black women and in this context the final list shows 70% of the winning entrants declaring themselves to be black. The initiatives selected are distributed across 54 municipalities where the company and its partners operate in 23 states of the country.

Each one of the 93 winners will receive a total of R$ 10 thousand to invest in their business in addition to Entrepreneurial Education classes provided by the Consulado da Mulher Institute, a Consul brand social action initiative, and an active participant in the program since 2021.

The complete list of selected initiatives can be found in the www.mulheresdonossobairro.com.br website. Finalists were chosen based on the analysis of criteria such as the potential for creation of income, economic viability considering the continuity of the business following the investment; the potential for contributing to the improvement in environmental conditions and a positive relation with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); in addition to the possible positive impacts for developing the communities.

“We are seeking to steer the project towards our socially responsible activities, focusing on the communities where we operate and at the same time, bringing partners with us on this journey. With every passing year, more companies and organizations are joining us. An important aspect is diversity of gender and race, one of ENGIE´s ESG goals. This is a program which reflects our commitment in creating opportunities for women to develop their entrepreneurial skills and generate their own income, with all the support required for the realization and prosperity of their businesses”, observes Mauricio Bähr, ENGIE’s CEO in Brazil.

This year’s edition had the participation of 11 partners, among them TAG, owner of the most extensive network of natural gas pipelines in Brazil, and Jirau Energia, both pertaining to the ENGIE Group. Companies such as Fort Atacadista, Portonave and Sebrae Delas have been participating in the program since last year. WEG, Goedert Group, Irani, Oiapoque Energia and Voltalia have also joined to multiply the benefits enjoyed by the women.