Building a diverse workforce that includes more women is critical for the energy industry to meet future challenges. Currently, women represent a minority of the global oil and gas workforce, and even fewer hold engineering or technical roles. In the UK, women account for 51 percent of the population, but only 8 percent of engineering professionals, according to a recent analysis from the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The Gulf Intelligence Women in Energy Summit will be held in Doha on March 11, 2015 in partnership with the Qatari Businesswomen Association to discuss the outlook for women in the energy industry and recommend changes to advance women’s role in the sector.
“It is vital that Qatari women have an equal opportunity to pursue a diversity of positions in the energy sector, and that women are made aware of what jobs are available to them if they are interested in pursuing a career in oil and gas. Qatari women play an important role in contributing to the economic activity in the country, and should play an equally central role in tackling challenges faced by the energy industry,” said Aisha Hussain Alfardan, Vice Chairwoman, Qatari Businesswomen Association and speaker at the Gulf Intelligence Women in Energy Summit.
Positive changes have already been started, for example, in the U.S., 46 percent of all new jobs in the oil industry went to women in the first quarter of 2013 – the highest number since 1991. In addition, the majority of new university students entering engineering programs in the Gulf are young women.
“In our industry, experts predict that as economies and populations grow, global energy consumption will rise by about 35 percent from 2010 to 2040. Key energy players such as Qatar need to be prepared to meet this increase in demand, which means a corresponding increase in demand for professionals, including women,” said Alistair Routledge, President and General Manager for ExxonMobil Qatar. “There is a significant number of women in key positions at ExxonMobil, and their contributions are valued and fully leveraged. Every day, I am amazed by the skill, energy and dedication of the Qatari women I have had the pleasure to work with. I see a trend in Qatar of more and more women entering the workforce, especially at my organization, and I am honored to work with these women as we contribute to the Qatar National Vision 2030 by providing the energy to support Qatar’s thriving society.”
The Women in Energy Summit will bring together Qatar’s energy industry with female global energy leaders, and local initiatives such as the Qatari Businesswomen Association who is keen to work with professional women working in male-dominated fields and create a platform to discuss the challenges they face and to try to find suitable solutions to address these challenges, and to develop certain Programmes to empower them which will help them overcome these challenges and pave the way for future generations.
