SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

In a ceremony organized at Correos’ main office at the Palacio de Cibeles, with occasion of the coming International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th, the Chairwoman of the Spanish state-owned industrial holding Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales (SEPI), Ms. Pilar Platero, expressed her satisfaction with the fact of her being the first woman to chair this state-owned enterprise, as well as of its former predecessor, the INI, recalling that within this state-owned corporate group there are other women at the head of several companies.

During this event, which was chaired by the Minister for Health, Social Services and Gender Equality, Ms. Dolors Montserrat, the Chairwoman also expressed her wish of continue collaborating with the campaigns which promote equal rights between men and women.

Ms. Platero expressed her gratitude to this Ministry and, specifically, to the Deputy Secretary for Social Services and Gender Equality, Mr. Mario Garcés, for having relied on CORREOS for organizing this event for supporting women, while stressing that the postal group constitutes a reference in the corporate world in giving value to women’s work within the corporation, something which it has been showing and consolidating along its 300 year-long history.

The Minister Ms. Montserrat also valued the effort carried out by CORREOS in favor of gender equality and its participation in awareness raising campaigns focused on fighting violence against women, while at the same time recalling Ms. Josefina, the first woman who worked as a post person in Spain.

With more than 50% of the workforce made up by women, as pointed out by SEPI’s Chairwoman, CORREOS contributes to promoting the values of gender equality through a large number of activities, such as the significant work carried out by Correos’ post offices for promoting the rejection of the blight of the violence against women, or the issue of stamps stressing the value of women, such as the one dedicated to Ms. Clara Campoamor, who worked for a time as an assistant at the postal company.

In this regard, the chairwoman Ms. Platero pointed out three significant events in CORREOS’ history: the year 1882, when 40 women were hired as telegraphists; 1979, the year when women began to work as post persons for the first time in Spain; and 2013, the year in which, during a ceremony which took place at the La Zarzuela Palace, queen Sofía was appointed honorary post person, giving to her the corresponding uniform.

Finally, SEPI’s Chairwoman stated that CORREOS is going to make a great effort for making known all over Spain the messages (The only way is forward: equality, rights, representation, opportunities…) which depict the poster commemorating the International Women’s Day; to this end, its 12,000 post people will cover 250,000 kilometers, taking with them the above mentioned poster to 2,100 cities and towns.