Despite working in predominantly male industry, women now represent almost 16% of the total workforce

In a predominately male business environment, Petrobras has steadily increased the percentage of women in its workforce since 2003. The female labor force has grown at a rate of approximately 120% over the nine years, while the male labor force grew by half of that, about 60%.

From a total of 6,563 managers, women now hold 1,104 management positions, about 17%. The president of Petrobras, Maria das Gracas Silva Foster, is the first woman to hold this position in the Company's history. Foster has been working at Petrobras for 32 years. She has held various positions in the Company until assuming the presidency in February last year.

As a result of public selection processes done since then, the Company now employs a total of 9,652 women, which is 15.6% of its total workforce. The index grew more than three percentage points over 2003, when the company employed 4,406 women, 12% of the workforce. Most women at Petrobras (around 65%) have completed higher education.

In May 2012, Petrobras signed a Statement of Commitment to the 4th Program for Gender and Race equality, an initiative by the Secretary of Policies for Women of the Presidency of the Republic, with the support of the International Labor Organization and UN Women, committing to implement an Action Plan which includes various initiatives, such as producing educational material to encourage non-discrimination of gender and race, and also educating and debating gender, race and diverse equality.

The Company has been part of the program since its inception in 2005, and in the three editions has won Pro-Gender Equality awards, given annually to companies that stand out in fulfilling the goals. The initiative formalized the Company's equal opportunities policy for men and women in the workforce.
For the manager of guidelines and practices of Social Responsibility in Petrobras, Janice Dias, the larger percentage of women is down to a series of initiatives to promote gender equality within the company. According to the manager, after nine years, Petrobras has spread a theme of diversity of gender and race and is truly committed to Pro-Gender and Race Equality. "The outlook and challenge for the future is to turn these issues into intrinsic and inherent parts of the Company's management system, reaffirming ethical, ongoing and systematic conduct throughout Petrobras" she says.