GENERAL NEWS / 08-03-2024
In an unprecedented meeting, the female directors of the companies in GRUPO ARANIA: Arania, Aratubo, AR Racking and AR Shelving met in a forum devoted to evaluating and increasing the female presence in the steel processing industry. With the aim of observing the current situation of women in this sector and generating spaces for their development in leadership positions, this Forum marked a milestone in the commitment of all our companies to equality.
Women's participation in the iron and steel industry has traditionally been limited, facing multiple barriers to access and professional development. "Women are quite underrepresented in the plant", remarked one of the participants, highlighting one of the main challenges for the inclusion of women in this sector, which starts in the professional training courses. Nevertheless, the importance of this representation was also noted. One of women present recalled that she became interested in the industry after a talk at her university. There, Leire and Aitor from Arania spoke to all of the students about the company. This experience underlines the need to raise the visibility of women at all levels of the industry, so they can be an inspiration for future generations and examples to follow for younger people.
The challenges for the women who occupy or aspire to positions of leadership in a predominantly male sector are significant. On repeated occasions throughout the session they mentioned the complexities of navigating a working environment where gender dynamics can influence professional relations. In addition, they all maintained the importance of excelling at work and establishing ambitious goals to demonstrate their competence in their position. In contrast, assertive communication was identified as one the strengths of female leaders, allowing them to connect with their teams and promote a collaborative, empathetic and comfortable atmosphere in the workplace.
Looking toward the future, the participants in the Forum outlined a variety of targets and proposals to promote gender equality in the steel industry. These included: using inclusive language across the board, promoting women's access at all levels with a mentoring programme, establishing and building workspaces for women and finally, continuing to implement Equality Plans and Committees in all of the companies at international level. Finally, they underlined the importance of recognising female leadership as a reality, without having to imitate traditionally masculine styles or distancing ourselves from the essence that characterises each of the participants in this Forum.
goals of the meeting: innovative initiatives, proposals for improvement and meeting spaces
"Mutual support and collaboration between women are essential to continue making progress in our insertion in the industry", was a common reflection among the participants, highlighting the significance of creating support networks that make it possible to share experiences, challenges and successes.
This Forum has not only provided visibility for the contributions of women to our companies and the steel processing industry as a whole, but also to trace a horizon full of innovative initiatives, improvement proposals and meeting spaces that seek to improve the situation for women.
It has shown that the path to equality is a journey we're building together, this meeting space has been launched, and everyone shares a renewed feeling of pride for the progress made and for being part of this transformative movement. The determination and talent shown promise a future where equality is a tangible reality at all levels.
This 1st Forum was attended by:
Finally, we would like to point out that the breakfast offered by Weekup supports two social projects: Robin Good and Josenea. We encourage you to find out more.
