Anuário da Indústria de Implementos Rodoviários 2020

96 MULHERES | WOMEN | MUJERES The power to change B razil has joined the list of the top ten countries with companies with women in leadership positions, as shown by the 15th International Business Report - Women in Business 2019, by Grant Thornton and published last year. 93% of the companies surveyed said that they have at least one female leader – compared with 61% in 2018 - above the global average of 87%. However, the proportion of women in leadership positions in Brazil has fallen by four percentage points, to 25%, unlike the 29% global average. Another report, Women in Business and Management: The Business Case for Change, recently released by the UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO) concluded that companies that invest in gender equality and diversity policies have better results, including profitability. Respondents from more than 70,000 companies, from 13 countries, reported gains in productivity, profitability, creativity and innovation in teams with greater gender diversity. In addition, 57% of those surveyed said they noticed improvements in reputation. Another conclusion is that companies that invest in gender equality and have women in leadership positions attract and retain talent more easily. As for profitability, most of the companies that embrace diversity reported a 10% to 15% growth in their revenue. It is nothing new that the job market has been adapting to new times and situations that were less common in the more distant past, such as female leadership. Given this reality, understanding the importance of women as leaders in the company is key. That is why research, studies and reports on the topic have substantially increased. Segmented - Even though women are gaining ground not only in professional areas, but also in the academic and scientific fields, it cannot be ignored that some sectors still suffer from potentially sexist dogmas. In the automotive industry, which the highway implements segment is part of, female participation figures are even greater. According to the study Diversity in the Automotive Sector, of 89 companies in the sector, done from August to September 2019 by the Automotive Business in partnership with MHD Consultoria, women currently account for 19.7% of the workforce in this industry. Other relevant data from the survey show the participation of women in automotive companies in leadership positions: they account for 21% of the management, board, vice-presidency and presidency positions. Most of the female workforce is concentrated in production and manufacturing (47%), followed by marketing and sales (11%) and purchasing, the supply chain and logistics (7%), showing a low representation of women in more strategic positions, responsible for, in fact, shaping the automotive sector. Women’s difficulty is far from being a lack of competence or training, since 41% have a college degree and / or full post-graduate diploma, compared with 27% of male talent in the sector. But inequality is evident in a highly relevant aspect: compensation. Even though women are better educated than men, as the study points out, their average salary is 23% lower in automotive companies, which deepens in leadership positions, with 34% lower earnings. Little by little - In any case, in a medium and long-term view, the trend has been for the progress for women’s participation and decision-making roles in the automotive sector. Specifically, in the road implements segment, for which there is still no exclusive research, the scenario has gradually changed, albeit slightly. It is no longer as difficult, as in the not-so-distant past, to find women in various companies, even in leading positions. Even so, some of them, such as Betina Borchardt, a director at HC Hornburg, Rosmari Ghellery, CEO at Fibrasil, Silvia Regina Paniz, Silpa’s managing director, Thayni da Silva Librelato, member of the board of directors at Librelato, and Wally Borchardt Hornburg, president at HC Hornburg, understand that there is a lot to be done. What is more, in spite of their own history, they all have one thing in common: the fact that women need to prove their skills on a daily basis while also believing that men and women working together is what really makes them stronger. Much has already been achieved - and they are proof of that - but it will probably take some time for differences to be overcome. It is possible, however, to change and they all have struggled and continue doing it.