45% of women in oil industry ‘don’t think they get same recognition as men’

A majority (75%) of women “feel welcome” working in the oil and gas industry but nearly half (45%) of them believe they don’t get the same recognition as their male […]

A majority (75%) of women “feel welcome” working in the oil and gas industry but nearly half (45%) of them believe they don’t get the same recognition as their male colleagues.

That’s the findings of a recent report, which suggests that in order to attract and retain female workers, the oil and gas industry needs to improve the ability to provide mentorship and recognise workers equally.

It also suggests highlighting the benefits of studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in schools and universities.

The survey from recruitment firm NES Global Talent found 95% believe mentors are important for career advancement in the industry but 42% of them said they were neither a mentor nor a mentee.

It also claims 39% of women said they would consider taking less money in return for more work flexibility, with many citing a better work life balance and spending more time with their family as the main reasons.

Neil Tregarthen, CEO at NES Global Talent said: “There may be issues of perception and reality here but undoubtedly the topic needs to be better managed if the sector is to become more attractive to women.

“Many respondents said they are paid less, have fewer opportunities than their male counterparts and have to work harder than men to prove themselves and again there are clear improvements to be made if the oil and gas sector is to attract larger numbers of female engineers in the future.”

Over four-fifths (82%) of women however said they planned to stay in the industry for the next two to five years.

Another recent survey found more than a quarter of employees in the renewable energy sector are women – a larger proportion than in the oil and gas or nuclear sectors..

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