Mexico: some thirty companies mobilize against racism

On 21 April, twenty-eight Mexican and multinational companies signed the Corporate Agreement against Racism in the Workplace and the Professional Environment. The document, signed by companies from various sectors, including Coca-Cola, Scotiabank, Netflix, Walmart, Ford, Nike, 3M, HSBC and Sanofi, together with the Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination (Copred) and the RacismoMX association, aims to establish new practices to eradicate racism and discrimination in companies. The companies are committed to carrying out studies and diagnoses on the different ways discrimination manifests in businesses, raising employee awareness on this issue, and organizing the inclusion of those concerned in the workplace. In Mexico, the majority of the population either belongs to an indigenous or Afro-descendant minority or ethnic group, yet as a survey presented at the signing of the agreement shows, this cohort is largely disadvantaged in the recruitment and selection process and often invisible in company representation. According to the Racismo MX association, dark-skinned employees have 43% fewer opportunities to attain management positions, and income levels for employees from ethnic origin are on average 57% lower than the remainder of the population.