The opening conference was delivered by Mr. Miguel Ángel García Martín of the Directorate-General for Self-Employment, Social Economy and Corporate Social Responsibility. Ms. Mar Aguilera, in her capacity as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Alares Foundation, read out the jury's decision, highlighting the quality and professionalism of the 400 applications submitted for these awards, which ultimately produced a first-rate list of winners.
Once the event had been opened, the awards ceremony began. We were joined by prominent figures from the business world, including Mr. Antonio Garamendi, Ms. Mercedes Pescador, Ms. Mª Eugenia Girón Dávila, President of the Diversity Foundation, Ms. María del Mar Alarcón, Ms. María Ángeles Durán, Mr. Gabriel Fernández and Mr. Fernando Moreno, as well as representatives of Iberdrola, a Protecting Partner of the Alares Foundation, and Galp Energía, a company committed to the Foundation's activities.
This edition, held under the Honorary Presidency of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, represented a major challenge for the Alares Foundation, always with the aim of highlighting the importance of work-family balance in a society such as ours. The awards are an example of positive initiatives and vital tools to help Spain become a leader among the countries working hardest to improve people's quality of life, equal opportunities and business competitiveness.
The Alares National Awards Gala brought together the country's most important representatives from the field of work-family balance.
The purpose of the awards is to recognize the effort and commitment of the various institutions, companies, social partners, executives, teachers, researchers and media organizations working to promote work-family-personal-life balance, shared responsibility and social responsibility—essential elements for improving quality of life and business competitiveness.
Mr. Juanma Romero, journalist and RTVE presenter, delivered a message on behalf of all the winners, noting that "today's recognition is an incentive for all of us to continue working in favor of work-life balance and social responsibility."
Mr. Ángel Rielo, actor and stand-up comedian, brilliantly hosted the gala, which was closed with words of thanks from Ms. María Ángeles Durán, Trustee of the Alares Foundation.
LIST OF WINNERS
Institutions Pedro Muñoz Town Council (first prize) Ordes City Council, A Coruña (runner-up)
Large Company Leroy Merlin (first prize) Reale Seguros (runner-up)
Medium-Sized Company Ecoembes (first prize) Finconsum (runner-up)
Small Company Official College of Surveyors and Technical Architects of Madrid (first prize) Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (runner-up)
Social Partners Spanish Association of Experts in Customer Relations, AEERC (first prize)
Executives Jerónima Bonafé, President of Agri-Food Cooperatives, (first prize) Marcos González, Director of Mediaresponsable (runner-up).
Media Professionals Laura Prieto Guijarro (first prize) Rosa Villacastín (runner-up)
Media Organizations RTVE (first prize) ABC, Work-Life Balance section (runner-up)
Information or Programs in Audiovisual Media "The Shared Responsibility Challenge" from the "It's Your Responsibility, It's Our Responsibility" Campaign by the Red Cross (first prize) "Being a Mother Is a Plus" by Hirukide (runner-up)
Innovation and Research "Online Clinic" by Mutua Universal Mugenat (first prize) Dharma: Life After Being Fired (Eduardo Gismena) (runner-up)
Universities, Business Schools, Other Educational and Research Institutions University of Salamanca (Equality Unit) (first prize) Los Sauces Educational Institution (runner-up)
Teachers and Researchers Alicia E. Kaufmann (first prize) Marina Romeo Delgado (runner-up).
* According to a study by the International University of Valencia.
