Aligned with the global goal of increasing the representation of women in its teams to 25% by 2025, Hydro, an integrated aluminum and energy company, has been developing a series of actions aimed at gender equity in its operations in Brazil. As a result, female representation in the company is on the rise. In 2023, about 55% of the new employees are individuals who identify as female. This percentage is 8.77% higher than the one recorded in the previous year. Considering leadership positions, there was a growth of about 3% compared to 2022. Today, 18% of the leadership roles in the company are held by women.

“For us at Hydro, diversity is important and necessary for the development of the company and its people. The numbers reflect our progress and show that we are on the right track. We have invested in attracting female talent, but also in actions aimed at engagement and development of women. It is an important work of cultural change in an industry historically associated with the male public. We have implemented actions to create an environment where women are heard, have space, and can thrive in their careers,” explains Nelia Lapa, Vice President of People, Communication, Health, and Safety at Work, at Hydro Bauxite & Alumina.

Employees in Brazil, including company leaders, have participated in training on unconscious biases and valuing diversity. Hydro has about 6,500 employees in Brazil, in different business areas.

Initiatives that make a difference

Hydro features initiatives such as: opening affirmative job positions, creating a trainee and internship program specifically aimed at individuals who identify as female, in addition to the Young Apprentice program which selected over 70% women.

The company also developed a guide to inclusive communication, with the aim of assisting employees in communicating while respecting differences and contributing to the creation of a fairer, more inclusive, diverse, and harmonious work environment. Another program developed by the company was the opening of specific job positions for women engineers in the fields of Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Automation, Chemical, or Production Engineering.

The outcomes of these initiatives are already impacting the work environment and are noticed by the employees. “At Hydro, my voice matters. I am valued and recognized as a professional and have always felt confident in sharing my opinions and contributing to continuous improvement. Hydro's culture is one of inclusion and collaboration, where everyone is heard and respected. This motivates and engages me, resulting in higher productivity and innovation. I am very proud to work for a company that values the opinions of all its employees and creates an environment where everyone can contribute to the company's success,” states Gizélia Matos, Senior Manager of Contracts and Services at Hydro Paragominas.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Program (DIP, in the acronym in Portuguese)

Hydro has the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Program, which acknowledges the needs for specific themes, such as the inclusion of people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+, gender equity, races, ethnicities, and generations. Launched in 2021, the initiative establishes strategies, guides internal policies and goals, and promotes various actions to offer a work environment that respects differences and contributes to development and higher productivity, based on skills and abilities.

“The DIB is a program that benefits everyone, promoting collaboration among teams, reducing conflicts, improving the organizational climate, and increasing receptiveness to new ideas at work. We aim for an open, disruptive, diverse, and inclusive work environment. Different opinions, experiences, and viewpoints foster innovation, create a better work environment, and help us achieve better results,” says Nelia Lapa.

An important part of Hydro’s people strategy, the program includes a specific pillar for Gender Equity that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative criteria, aiming to increase female presence in the company through hiring more women, retaining talent, and career development plans and programs, including a career accelerator for women to achieve and thrive in leadership positions.

Furthermore, operations in Brazil have specific initiatives for women, to strengthen their position and competence in the work environment, the Women's Networks. Each network has governance, structure, and financial support to further develop gender balance in factories, autonomously and with a focus on results.

Supporting the development of women in neighboring communities

Aligned with its commitment to support socioeconomic development in the regions where it operates, Hydro has also been investing in the qualification of women in the municipalities of Barcarena and Paragominas, in Pará. The Women Operators Program, a project in partnership with the Network for Work, offered professional courses by Senai in the industrial area.

In Barcarena, women were certified in areas such as Mechanics, Industrial Electrician, and Chemical Process Operation. In the latest class, the 81 graduates had the opportunity to participate in a selection process for Hydro Alunorte and Albras. Of this total, 29 have been selected and are working at the company's unit. In Paragominas, 45 women graduated in the class of 2023. We believe that actions like these make a difference in society.

Gender equity is also a priority at Albras

Albras, the largest producer of primary aluminum in Brazil, which has Hydro as a shareholder along with the Japanese from Nippon Amazon Aluminium, is attentive to the importance of Diversity in its operations. To ensure an inclusive environment suitable for everyone's needs, the company has been investing in infrastructure, team training, and local community empowerment. Regarding gender equity, the goal is to reach 25% female presence by 2025. Currently, 17% of the workforce is female, with the expectation to reach 22% this year. In terms of leadership positions, there is growth in female occupancy from 10% to 12%, just in 2023. To achieve these goals, the company relies on the publication of affirmative job positions, as well as the expectation of employing women participating in internship and apprenticeship programs.

“Being the first woman to be an operations supervisor in the predominantly male operation area opens doors for many women and makes the work environment lighter,” comments Oziléia Machado, operation supervisor at Albras.

Albras also has the Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) Program, aimed at addressing issues related to different publics: People with Disabilities, Women, Ethnicities, LGBTQAI+, and People 50+. The goal is to increase the participation of these groups in the workforce and raise awareness about the importance of Diversity and Inclusion, respect for differences, and the peculiarities of each individual.

“We believe that awareness is the best path for everyone to adopt the company's culture of valuing Diversity and Inclusion. In this sense, we promote continuous training with the leadership on the pillars of the DIB program, to create understanding about the movement and the relevance of the theme. Thus, we encourage leadership to take responsibility for creating an inclusive environment. At the same time, we promote various campaigns on the topic aimed at employees. In this way, we are involving everyone in the dialogue and helping to create a sense of belonging,” comments the company's HR Business Partner, Rubens Souza.