“(…) We will become a benchmark in the industry. We seek to make history,” they explained from the state company with regarding the project to incorporate more women.
The National Copper Corporation (Codelco) communicated this Wednesday its commitment to incorporate more than 3,000 women into its operations by 2027, reaching a 35% female participation in one of the largest copper companies in the world.
“We are convinced that diversity in all areas contributes to the challenges of productivity, competitiveness, teamwork and sustainability”, explained the executive president, André Sougarret.
“This requires a complete strategy that transforms the Corporation. This is much more than just coming up with a number. We have to change mentalities, behaviors, infrastructure, our way of operating and our employer brand”, added the executive.
The state giant defined enabling axes to meet this goal: a new management model; the attraction, development and retention to make the company a space where women want to work; promote and deepen a culture according to greater female integration; and adapt the infrastructure to the increase in female representation.
“Codelco will reach a workforce of more than 5,000 women compared to the 1,900 we are today. This means that we will become in industry benchmarks. We seek to make history,” said the mining company’s vice president of Human Resources, Mary Carmen Llano.
With an average annual production of 6 million tons, Chile accounts for 28% of the world’s copper production and in giants such as Codelco, BHP, Anglo American and Antofagasta Minerals operate in the country.
Mining, which represents 15% of gross domestic product (GDP) and is the main engine of the Chilean economy, is playing a fundamental role in the country’s economic recovery.
The Chilean economy grew a historic 11.7% in 2021, after the sharp drop of 5.8% in 2020 due to the pandemic, and registered an accumulated inflation 7.2%, the highest in 14 years.