Sodexo celebrates Pride Month with kickboxing event to show solidarity with LGBTQ+ community

In celebration of Pride Month, Sodexo Philippines held a kickboxing event on June 22 at Ayala Triangle Park to demonstrate its solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

A kickboxing instructor from Sodexo's medical insurance partner, Zin Unilino Salaas, led the kickboxing session, which was part of the company’s annual PRIDE activity, dubbed ‘PRIDE in Line with our DE&I program’. "This activity is part of our efforts to ‘ACT with Purpose’ and ensure that our LGBTQIA+ employees feel that they belong and appreciated as part of our diverse, yet close-knit, family," Sodexo Philippines HR Director Mak Zara said in her opening remarked.

During the event, Miko Daos, a Nutritionist at Sodexo lauded the company for playing a huge part in promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion by celebrating and honoring the progress made in the fight for equal rights and to promote the visibility and acceptance of LGTBQIA+ community.

“As we know LGBTQIA+ community has faced many challenges throughout history, even today many still face social stigma, rejection, abuse, violence, and unfair treatment. Here at Sodexo, we play a part in promoting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,” Miko said.

A production number by Sodexo’s LGBTQIA+ employees also spiced up the event.

Aside from this, Sodexo is conducting a photo contest this Pride Month in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.

In his closing remarks, Sodexo's Managing Director Paul Debaprateem stressed that at Sodexo, employees take pride in being a staunch ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and that Sodexo stands up for diversity, equity and inclusion; and ensures there is no form of discrimination and abuse of human rights in the organization.

"We are committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination so that our employees can perform better in a stress-free environment”, he said.

In recognition of its commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, Sodexo has received a number of international awards and accolades for being an LGBTQIA+ inclusive employer, including a 2022 Silver Employer award from Stonewall, the world’s second-largest LGBT+ charity.

Also in 2022, Sodexo received the ‘Advocate’ designation on the 2022 Workplace Pride Global Benchmark, which assesses the LGBTIQ+ inclusion practices of internationally active employers.  The benchmark encompasses the ideal LGBTIQ+ inclusion standards among the best organizations following a detailed review and analysis of eight categories that show progress on LGBTIQ+ inclusion within the workplace.