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Our Journey to Gender Parity and Inclusion

What is gender parity?

Gender equality, gender gap, gender bias, gender parity… there is a lot of talk about gender issues in the workplace, with good reason. But what exactly is gender parity? It is a ratio measurement: Gender parity refers to a balanced representation of women and men.  

Why are gender parity and inclusion important?

Because an unbalanced proportion of men to women in workforce is not sustainable. Diversity is crucial to the success of any organization, and gender parity is part of that diversity. A workforce built on a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and experiences, to name just a few factors, provides an invaluable depth of perspective that translates into improved performance, innovation and employee satisfaction over more homogenous competitors. At Tractebel, we are committed to setting and achieving gender parity and inclusion goals: not only as part of our larger commitment to economic sustainability, but also to increasing diversity and reducing inequality on a global scale.  


The numbers: narrowing the gap

Of our 5600 people in over 70 countries across the globe, as for January 2025, Tractebel is 27,8% women, with women holding 24,1% of Tractebel's management positions worldwide. While the numbers appear heavily skewed on the surface, there is more to them than meets the eye: the reality is that in the engineering profession overall, just 13% are women. That means completely closing the gender gap among our engineers is not feasible. But we can narrow that gap.

“Although there has been some progress in recent years, the representation of women in engineering remains insufficient. However, there has been a positive shift in the dialogue around the need for more diversity – including more women – in organizations, particularly in upper management, and the importance of fostering a balanced environment. Both companies and society in general have begun discussing and acting on this issue more openly. 

To women considering a career in engineering, I say go for it! I couldn’t be happier in my career choice. I would advise you to follow your natural aptitudes, without worrying that there may be a gender imbalance in your chosen field. That doesn’t matter. If you have passion for the sciences and have chosen engineering as your path, congratulations! You've made a wonderful choice.” 

Maria Guilhermina, Head of Energy, Tractebel in South America

“As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, we are building an actionable, step-by-step plan to increase gender parity. We are not there yet, but despite the challenges inherent to the engineering sector, we are working to make Tractebel a great place to work and the company of choice for women in engineering. That means fostering a positive environment that is open and inclusive to all. Through initiatives like the EDGE program, we are encouraging more women to join our ranks of imaginative experts in the fascinating field of engineering, so that together, through the diversity of our people, we are better equipped than ever to drive our purpose of engineering a carbon-neutral future.”

Christophe Demaerel

Chief Human Resources, QHSSE & Communications Officer

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