Sonaecom SGPS S A : 18.9.2023 - Sonaecom, SGPS, S.A. informs on Plan for Gender Equality 2024

Plan for the Gender Equality

August 2023

Maia, August 2023

Introductory Note

Gender equality is a right established by the 13rd article of the Portuguese Republic's Constitution, regarded as an essential human right for society's development and for the full participation of men and women as individuals.

The concept of gender equality translates as an equality of rights, liberties and opportunities for men and women with the goal of providing equal valorisation, recognition and participation in all spheres of public and private life.

This is a concept that has been given particular attention and relevance by the main international entities over the last years and that has also recently gained greater prominence in Portugal.

The Resolution No. 19/2012 of the Council of Ministers, held on the 8th of March of 2012, firstly stipulated the obligation of adopting a plan for equality in every organisation of the Government's business sector, oriented towards reaching the equality of treatment and opportunities between genders, eliminating discrimination and facilitating the balance between personal, professional and family life.

This obligation was later extended to companies listed on the stock market, through the Law No. 62/2017 of the 1st of August, which approves the regime of balanced representation between genders for the boards of directors and supervisory boards of public and listed companies, stipulating in 7th article the obligation to elaborate and communicate annual plans for equality.

The Law No. 62/2017 also came to establish representation quotas for both genders of 20% for companies listed on the stock market, from the first elective general meeting which occurs after the 1st of January of 2018, and 33,3% from the first elective general meeting which occurs after the 1st of January of 2020, regarding all board members (executive and nonexecutive).

Considering the relevance of the contribution of business organisations for a fully democratic and inclusive society, as well as the relevance of diversity, particularly of gender, for the balance and development of its businesses, Sonaecom, SGPS, S.A. (hereinafter referred to as "Sonaecom" or "Society" has dedicated special attention to this issue, seeking to balance the representation of women and men throughout the Society, with a special focus on leadership roles.

Additionally, Sonaecom as an entity included at Sonae Group (being controlled by Sonae - SGPS, S.A., further referred as "Sonae" and/or "Group"), participates in the initiatives promoted by the Group on this matter.

Therefore, and under the terms of article 7 of the Law no. 62/2017, the 1st of August of 2017, Sonaecom has been drawing up annual plans aimed at promoting good practices within the scope of gender equality, applicable both to its employees and members of company bodies, committing to its implementation, monitoring and constant improvement.

In this document, a comprehensive self-assessment about gender equality at Sonaecom will be presented, as well as an overview of the measures already deployed and undergoing and the plan for 2024.

Regarding its scope, Sonaecom gender equality policy and the present plan, cover all companies fully owned, directly or indirectly, by, thus this is being applied to all the employees and members of the governing bodies.

Regarding the controlled and co-controlled companies, Sonaecom, as a direct or indirect share- holder, will undergo its best efforts in order to guarantee the policy's application.

Self-assessment - "Understanding

Gender Equality at Sonaecom

SGPS, S.A."

With the view of furthering a comprehensive assessment of Sonaecom current situation regarding gender equality, contributors from sources were considered, namely:

• Guide to preparing equality plans, published by the Commission for Equality in Work and
  Employment ("CITE");
• Self-assessmenttool available on the CITE website - https://planosigualdade.cite.gov.pt/;
• Detailed analysis of the strategic human resources management cycle, which follows the different stages of employees' life cycle;
• CITE's recommendations arising from the technical analysis of the plan published by So- naecom in September 2022;
• Monitoring indicators evolution, targets and commitments signed.

The combination of these contributions made it possible to incorporate into this plan the internal assessment of Sonaecom's current situation, as well as the external perspective of CITE and factual data that help to objectively assess the Company's position in terms of gender equality, identifying strengths and improvement opportunities to develop. The indicators reported in this assessment date from 30th of June of 2023.

Self-assessment results as well as the plan made available on the CITE platform reveal Sonaecom maturity and commitment to gender equality.

In order to support the plan presented in this document, the most relevant elements of this self- assessment are highlighted.

A. Strategy, Mission and Values of the Company

The first component of the self-assessment process carried out by Sonaecom was directed to the analysis of the business practices in terms of diversity and inclusion, especially in what regards to the gender equality, in light of the organisation's strategy, identity and culture vectors, sustained by their formal supporting documentation.

In this regard, it should be noted that Sonaecom places a high emphasis on diversity, which, defi- nitely, is one of the structural vectors of its success.

The commitment to diversity in assumes a prominent role in ensuring that it actively seeks to encourage inclusion throughout the organisation, managing and evaluating its employees in an unbiased management and through the promotion of equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their role and position within the organisation, as well as gender, ethnic group, age, religion or sexual orientation.

The values of inclusion and diversity are an integral part of Sonaecom matrix since its genesis, being intrinsically related with the evolution, growth and diversification of its businesses. Histori- cally, Sonaecom has sought to encourage these values through the proactive and recurring development of a set of initiatives.

In parallel, Sonaecom has been systematically following the evolution of a wide range of indicators that, among other goals, aim to feed the discussion regarding the inclusion and diversity in the company's planning and management forums.

Specifically, regarding the gender equality, Sonaecom SGPS, S.A. has been acting in several strategic lines, emphasizing its investment in the development of its talents, through an approach which aims the sustainability concerning the gender balance.

The commitment to gender equality is also reflected in the Sonae Group values and principles that guide the way of being in life and business, designated "our way", with emphasis on:

1. Lead for impact - "We turn ambition into action. This means we strive to have a meaningful impact today and tomorrow."

1. Own what's next - "We act as intrapreneurs first and foremost. This means we challenge the status quo and drive what's next."

1. Go further together - "We champion our diverse talent. This means we bring our skills, knowledge, and point of views to learn from one another and put it into action."

1. Make things simple - "We move fast and keep things simple. This means we are contin- uously improving to be more efficient, adaptive, and nimble."

1. Do what's right - "We commit to doing good business. This means we act independently and transparently to make the right choices."

In relation to gender diversity, Sonaecom seeks to promote it throughout the entire life cycle of its employees.

With the ambition of being able to face each of its people in its own unique way, Sonaecom promotes an integrated and inclusive management of human resources based on three distinct pillars: attract; develop and retain diverse and distinctive profiles.

B. Equal Access to Employment

B.1. Advertisements, selection and recruitment

Sonaecom invests in identifying and attracting people with varied academic, professional and personal backgrounds, bearing in mind the principle of equality and non-discrimination based on gender in the recruitment and selection processes. Throughout the professional career, it is sought that this diversity of profiles and characteristics are enhanced and strengthened at all corporate levels, so that employees can be better prepared to respond to the multiple challenges that the business imposes.

B.2. Trial Period

During the trial period of the employment contracts, Sonaecom appreciates the performance of each employee and evaluates the effective interest in their maintenance.

C. Initial and Continuous Training

Sonaecom assures that employees' training covers different functions, generations and geogra- phies, and is accessed by all employees in an equitable way. In this process, an increasingly active role is attributed to the employee, who is given the opportunity to decide the themes and