Abstract
The Society of Petroleum Engineers has taken bold and specific steps in promoting the skills, empowerment and network of female engineers, with several important initiatives, events and activities that position this Society as a pioneer in this area. The paper summarizes the initiatives of SPE in this area, being the first and most important professional society in the Oil and Gas sector to create opportunities for the networking, discussion and motivation of women with professional roles and responsibilities in the industry to move towards higher standards, conditions and leadership positions.
Three key concepts were identified in all SPE activities related to the empowerment of women that deserve a special mention: (1) the concept of inclusion, retention and empowerment of women in the workforce being a clear business necessity, (2) the recognition of the need to train the male counterparts to embrace the increased presence of women in the workforce, and (3) the implementation of guidelines for the implementation of recruitment, succession plans and promotion strategies with a gender-balanced strategy and focus.
An analysis of the characteristics of the current situation of the SPE actions in relation to the female component of the membership shows how the common denominator was found to be the industry's interest to promote the effective progression and retention of the female component towards the highest levels in technical and managerial careers, as one effective and immediate remedial action to overcome the workforce shortage and crew change challenges.