Speaking this Thursday at the opening of the Conference dedicated to Women in the Mining, Oil and Gas Sector in Angola – "Women in Mining, Oil & Gas", Esperança da Costa encouraged oil, gas and mineral companies operating in the country to "rigorously analyse all barriers to women's employment and adopt strategies to achieve equity".
The vice-president, quoted in a government statement to which VerAngola had access, said that estimates from the country's regulatory agency and other stakeholders indicate that women represent only approximately 14 percent of the oil sector's workforce and four percent hold leadership positions.
Aiming to improve these indicators, Esperança da Costa "encouraged companies and other operators in the mining, oil and gas sectors to make greater efforts to increase women's participation".
According to the minister, the government pays "special attention to gender equality": "The Executive pays special attention to gender equality, considering it not only a matter of principle, but a fundamental human right", she said.
The vice-president also warned that "the appeal should not be seen only as an action to meet indicators, but because women have proven themselves capable of transforming organizations, with perseverance, a spirit of solidarity and high levels of responsibility".
On the occasion, she recalled that Angola "has already witnessed the appointment of a Minister of Petroleum with remarkable performance".
Esperança da Costa also said that a set of policies aimed at promoting "diversity and equality" are part of the government's agenda, with Angola having registered more than 40 percent of women in political life and leadership positions.
As part of the diversification of the national economic structure, the minister stated that the Government has initiated "a series of profound reforms in the sector, embodied in a dynamic agenda, including in its regulatory framework, aimed at promoting and facilitating investment in the production of oil, gas and biofuels".
"The reforms were not only carried out by local operators and regional producers, but also by independent international operators, making the sector more robust, generating more jobs for young people and more competitive", said the Vice-President of the Republic, quoted in the statement.
The minister also considered that "institutional and gender-specific barriers continue to impede the empowerment of women and their full participation in society and industry", and regretted the "fact that the number of women graduating in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)" has decreased in recent years, "at a time when jobs in these areas are an important factor for innovation and growth".
Therefore, with a view to encouraging enrollment in the course, the Government increased the number of scholarships with a high percentage for women.
"I therefore challenge all national and international companies to provide programs that encourage a significant increase in the number of women trained in STEM areas to make a greater contribution to the development of the sector", said Esperança da Costa.
Meanwhile, Jânio Victor, Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, "recognized that in recent years women have assumed leadership positions, as a result of their competence, resilience and vision of the future", the statement reads.
On the occasion, the official also highlighted that over the years, women have demonstrated that "they are important in driving sustainable development in the mining, oil and gas sector, which is crucial for the national economy".
The conference brought together industry leaders, experts, government entities, professionals, students and more than 10 women's associations in the mining, oil and gas industry from more than 15 countries to address gender equality, as well as promote women's voice, access to opportunities and leadership, the statement points out.
