At Idex, gender equality is not just a concept, it is an approach that we implement every day. On 23 January, we took this approach one step further by organising a day dedicated to the female technicians of #TeamIdex.  A special event to recognise the essential role they play and provide them with a platform to talk about  the challenges they face on a daily basis in a sector that is still predominantly male.

Gender equality at Idex: a day dedicated to our female technicians

Our female technicians are at the forefront of a mission to shape the future of decarbonisation. Through their career choices, they are paving the way for greater diversity in the energy and technical services sector. Anti-sexism day was therefore a great opportunity to discuss their experience in the field and share in their successes, while also highlighting any obstacles encountered.

Taking part in a direct conversation, Thomas Le Beux was able to better understand their daily lives and listen to their proposals for improving their working environment. This authentic, enriching dialogue is essential to building a company where everyone is free to thrive, without gender-related barriers.

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Looking beyond these discussions, the event was also an opportunity to address issues of key importance for our female employees with input from two recognised experts:

  • The mental load, a major component of the work-life balance, was brilliantly explored by Laetitia Vitaud. Her presentation contributed to a better understanding of this issue and, more importantly, identified practical solutions for a better sharing of responsibilities.
  • Personal finances and economic inequalities between men and women were addressed by Héloïse Bolle. This subject is sometimes seen as taboo, but it is actually essential to helping everyone plan for their future from a financial standpoint and gain greater independence.

These presentations sparked a wave of reactions, opening up useful discussions between participants and giving them greater power to take positive action in their day-to-day activities.

At Idex, our commitment to equality is about more than raising awareness.

We have put in place a number of tangible measures as part of our Group agreement on equality in the workplace. They include a key initiative:

  • The systematic pre-selection of female candidates in our recruitment process: from now on, whenever one or more female candidates meet the job criteria, we undertake to shortlist at least one of them.

This is not positive discrimination. It is a vital pre-requisite to eliminate unconscious bias and make sure that women have the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Because talent is measured not by gender, but by skills and motivation.

A collective mindset for a more egalitarian future

Getting things moving is not solely about the decisions made by HR: it's a state of mind, a collective commitment. We all need to be agents of change in order to encourage gender diversity and change mindsets.

The event dedicated to the female technicians at Idex was just one step in the process, albeit an essential one. By showcasing their careers, giving them practical tools and implementing key initiatives, we are moving forward together in building a company that is fairer, more inclusive and more representative of the talents of today and tomorrow.