- The employees were granted a scholarship for the Engendering Utilities, program thatincludes a one-year course at Georgetown University and virtual coaching for two years for developing policies and strategies customized to the Company.
- The four persons that were awarded the scholarship are a part of ISA and its affiliates ISA INTERCOLOMBIA and INTERNEXA.
With the objective of continuing to make ISA Group into a diverse and inclusive workplace, the Company applied to the invitation in Colombia of the Engendering Utilities Program of USAID, to strengthen the gender equality in the sector, achieving the election of four Group’s members to be granted the participation scholarship.
The program works with electricity and water companies in developing countries to increase economic opportunities for women and to improve workplace gender equality, by means of three approaches: better global practices for implementation of gender equality interventions; Gender Equity Executive Leadership Program (GEELP) and training on change management driven according to the demand.
“According to the figures of International Labour Organization, the global rate of women participating in the workforce is 27% lower than the rate of men. It is because of this that, as a Group, we are proud of being a part of the team of companies leading this transformation towards gender equality in the public utilities sector, becoming the change we want to see in the world”, said Carlos Humberto Delgado, ISA’s Chief Organizational Talent Officer.
The winners that are a part of ISA and its affiliates ISA INTERCOLOMBIA and INTERNEXA, have access to a one-year course at Georgetown University and virtual coaching for two years to actively establish a workplace with better gender balance, through interventions and policies customized to the organization.
This program is administered by the Energy and Infrastructure Office of USAID and the Office of Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment in the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment. Its implementation is in charge of Tetra Tech, a leading global company in consulting, engineering, program management, construction management and technical services.
““Engendering Utilities, of USAID, is pleased to be associated with ISA, a Colombian company of energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications, to increase the gender equality in these sectors that have been traditionally dominated by men. We expect to work with ISA to promote women´s participation.”, said Jessica Menon, Gender Integration Director of Engendering Utilities.
For ISA, being one of the organizations selected in Colombia for being a part of the program translates into a commitment to continue promoting gender equality in the mining-energy sector. This objective has been successfully fulfilled so far, as there is 36% women in managerial positions, and 45% general women’s participation, higher than the average estimate of 29% for the sector.
Engendering Utilities
Launched in 2015, the program works with organizations in industries dominated by men, to increase the economic opportunities for women, improve gender equality, promote business performance, and strengthen economies. USAID is currently implementing this program with 29 public utilities companies in 21 countries worldwide. As a result of the innovative approach of Engendering Utilities to date, associated public utilities companies have significantly broadened their talent reserves for contracting, and have diversified their organizations by including more women, while creating a favorable environment for gender equality.
