International Women’s Day – Today and Always
At BW Offshore, we genuinely believe that gender equality is paramount for achieving a successful and sustainable organisation. As a company, we understand that we play an important role in pursuing a more equal society, and fostering women’s representation in the workplace is vital to that end.
Today, I’d say women at BW Offshore need not shy away from playing to their strengths, not in a competitive manner but in a co-operative and team-oriented way so as to create synergies, build bridges and enhance results. Acting with integrity, demonstrating strong capabilities and confidence, women are respected for their work, and gender focus disappears into the background.
Magda Karim Vakil, General Counsel
The inclusion of women in the workforce triggers innumerous positive impacts, including, amongst others, diverse perspectives, enhanced collaboration, better work environment, and greater economic performance.
“BW Offshore is passionate about stepping up for a gender-balanced organisation and providing women the necessary opportunities for career development. We believe this is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a key factor for the continuous and sustainable growth of our industry and the global economy.” says Marco Beenen, BW Offshore's CEO.
While our industry might be associated with low gender equality, we in BW Offshore are committed to improving gender-balance and fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and have the possibility to hold leadership positions. Today, our global legal team consists of more than 50% women, including our General Counsel. Structured to support the organisation across all locations and in a multitude of jurisdictions, men and women in the legal team from diverse nationalities and cultures work collaboratively to bring different perspectives, innovate and create value.
“In my professional career I have in the past come across people who were not as comfortable working with professional women, whether from a cultural or individual standpoint, and there were a few instances where I could have allowed stray, frivolous gender stereotype comments to set me off-track. Ultimately, if I had allowed any of that to distract me, that is where I would have ended up: off-track." says Magda Karim Vakil, General Counsel.
To further support BW Offshore’s commitment to gender equality, a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee has recently been established. Consisting of employees from various locations, nationalities, gender and religions, the committee acts as a representative for employees in mapping gaps, establishing targets and providing solutions to further evolve BW Offshore as a diverse and respected company.
As an organisation, we are honoured to have an incredible team of very talented women who are constantly choosing to challenge the status quo and fight for a more equitable world.
Gender equality is part of BW Offshore’s culture of care and respect and is a fundamental element of its DNA. We believe that a fairer society where no one is left behind is only achievable once we have gender parity. At the D&I Committee, our goal is to disseminate the concepts of diversity, inclusion and equity across the company, and we commit to fight inequality and call out gender bias today and every day.
Beatriz Souto, Senior Legal Counsel & Member of the D&I Committee
