- The steel company is one of the Basque companies highlighted in the “Women in Industry” initiative, promoted by the SPRI Group, for their inclusive policies and their strategic commitment to integrating female talent at all organizational levels
The steel company Sidenor, recognized for its strong commitment to gender equality, has taken a further step by participating in the “Women in Industry” report, an initiative promoted by the SPRI Group. This document analyzes and compiles the best practices of Basque industrial companies that are leading the transformation towards a more equal sector. Specifically, Sidenor is among the companies highlighted for their inclusive policies and their strategic commitment to integrating female talent at all organizational levels.
Titled “Gender Equality in Basque Industry: A Report on Good Practices and Examples,” the report compiles the experiences and strategies implemented by companies like Sidenor to attract, retain and promote women in the industrial sector. Based on interviews and data from the study “Women’s Impact on Industrial Competitiveness,” published in 2023 by SPRI, the document demonstrates that organizations committed to equality not only achieve more equitable work environments but also obtain better results in terms of turnover, employment, innovation and international expansion.
A transversal approach
Sidenor has integrated gender equality as a strategic pillar in its management model. Since 2018, the company has had an Equality Plan that includes specific measures to ensure equity in selection, promotion, training and work-life balance processes. It also promotes female participation in traditionally male-dominated positions, such as those related to production and engineering.
Among the company’s most notable initiatives are programs such as High Potentials, which identifies and fosters talent with leadership capabilities without gender bias; the Avanza Plan, which provides individualized professional growth paths; and the Bideratu project, which focuses on empowering production staff through the development of leadership and decision-making.
Commitment to the future
For the company, promoting equality in the industry must begin at the earliest stages of training. Therefore, it collaborates with programs such as INSPIRA STEAM, aimed at fostering scientific and technological careers among young people, especially girls, and participates in initiatives such as Industria Erronka, which seeks to bring the industrial world closer to secondary school students, with a special focus on highlighting female role models in the sector.
These actions respond to the five strategic areas identified in the “Women in Industry” report as driving forces for promoting equality: engaging girls in STEM vocations; increasing women’s employability in industrial sectors; fostering an equitable work environment through leadership; implementing gender equality plans; and ensuring women’s participation in decision-making and on management boards.
Along these lines, the steel company has been recognized for making significant progress in all these areas, particularly in the development of policies that ensure an inclusive work environment and the representation of women in decision-making.
In addition, Sidenor has managed to consolidate a more diverse, innovative, and adaptable management model, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and with new social and market demands.
All of this, coupled with its participation in the “Women in Industry” report, allows the company to position itself as a strategic player in the transformation of the Basque industrial fabric towards a more egalitarian and modern industry that is prepared for the challenges of the future.