A survey conducted at the Women in Energy Summit revealed that progress has been made in female recruitment
The industry survey was conducted by Gulf Intelligence in the Qatari capital Doha last week, where the fifth Women in Energy Summit was being held.
Out of 120 female energy leaders, 80 per cent agreed that gender diversity in Qatar’s energy sector had made either limited or significant progress over the last five years.
An even greater proportion, however, at 86 per cent, believed that retaining the new female workers was the biggest long-term challenge faced by the industry.
Another survey, carried out last year by NES Global Talent, found that nearly half of female oil and gas engineers did not think they received the same level of recognition as their male peers, with almost a fifth considering leaving the industry within the next two to five years.
Alistair Routledge, president and general manager for ExxonMobil Qatar, summit’s official partner organisation, said, “In our industry, experts predict that as economies and populations grow, global energy consumption will rise by about 35 per cent 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.”
The summit was held under the patronage of HE Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, president of the administrative control & transparency authority, and in partnership with the Qatari Businesswomen Association.
To find out more about training and worker retention, click here to register your interest in attending the upcoming Managing Talent in Oil & Gas event, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from 17-19 May 2015.
