He energy sector It has historically been a field dominated by men in all professional profiles and qualification levels. As a consequence, and despite representing 48% of the global workforce, The presence of women in this sector, according to the International Energy Agency, is 22%, reaching 32% in renewable businesses.
Iberdrolaaware of this reality and that the presence of women in the energy industry is essential, develops and leads different initiatives, which facilitate their integration into STEM positions (careers that have to do with science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in the countries in which it is present.
Specifically, the company develops initiatives in Spain, United Kingdom, USA, Mexico, Brazil either Australiaamong other countries, establishing strategic alliances, supporting and giving visibility to other institutions committed to the inclusion of women.
The company aspires to generate an impact that exceeds your organization and is sustainable over timewhich is why, for years, it has been working on the implementation of practices, both internal and external, that seek to support women at key moments in their careers.
Firstly, awakening interest in STEM areas among girls and young people and then. supporting them in their training and integration into the labor market, as well as accelerating the development of their employees and giving visibility to leading professionals, who contribute to combating gender biases.
International impulse
Among the programs carried out by the company, those designed to enhance the development and give visibility to leading women stand out. With the objective of creating and maintaining a diverse workforce, in alliance with the local institutions where it is present, it promotes the study of STEM careers, especially in womenby offering scholarships and educational incentives, creating opportunities to access the labor market.
In Spain, to the different training projects for girls and young people, agreements with different entities, such as Innobasque (the Innovation Agency of the Basque Country) or alliances such as the one made with the Ministry of Education, the Comillas Pontifical University or the EMT, among others; This year she has joined the Technovation Girls initiative. This is an innovation and entrepreneurship program in which girls and adolescents work alongside volunteer mentors solving problems in their environment through the use of technology.
In the United States, the Avangrid Foundation, in collaboration with the Girls Inc organization, promotes the Eureka! program, aimed at promoting intensive training and internships for five years in companies related to STEM careers in young people from minority groups or in the first university students of the families. Iberdrola in the United States also supports the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Additionally, in 2021, the company joined Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of organizations dedicated to addressing racial and gender gaps in the business sector and achieving full gender parity by 2030.
In the United Kingdom, Iberdrola, through its subsidiary ScottishPower, is a member of POWERful Women, an initiative to advance gender diversity within the energy sector. In addition, the company also has an employee network called SP Connected Women, which provides a platform for its members to meet regularly and share their experiences and ideas both internally and at external events.
In Mexico, Iberdrola has held the Women with Energy forum since 2018, a space for dialogue and training on diversity, equity and inclusion to promote initiatives that close the gender gap. Additionally, in 2023, the company held its fourth call for its STEM scholarships, a program carried out since 2019 in alliance with local institutions that seeks to promote the study of engineering in Oaxacan youth.
In Brazil, through Neoenergia, the company committed in 2023 to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact to increase the number of women and black people in leadership positions by more than 30% by 2025 in all its units. of business in the country. In addition, the School of Electricians for women also stands out, whose objective is to promote the insertion of women in positions in the electrical sector occupied predominantly by men. Since its launch in 2017, it has trained 850 women, of which nearly 600 have been hired
In Australia, in 2022, Iberdrola supported the sector association Women in Energy Network (WIEN), which seeks to promote the advancement of women in the energy industry through relationships, exchange of knowledge and the generation of leadership opportunities.