Historically, the construction industry has employed a high number of men, including in plants, construction sites and senior leadership positions. As part of its 2030 Sustainability Commitments, Votorantim Cimentos, a building materials and sustainable solutions company, set the goal of having 25% of leadership positions globally occupied by women.
In 2024, the company came very close to this target, ending the year with 24.8% of leadership positions in global operations occupied by women—an increase of more than four percentage points since 2020, when this percentage was 20.1%.
“Votorantim Cimentos’ organisational culture, which we call Our VC Way, is our guide as we work to create an increasingly diverse and inclusive work environment. Diversity and Inclusion is part of our people management strategy. It is a matter of competitiveness and also essential to drive innovation and the growth of our business. To strengthen this essential pillar of our culture, we have several attraction, development and retention programmes,” said Cinthia Bossi, global director of People and Management at Votorantim Cimentos.
Inclusion journey – In addition to the targets related to leadership positions, Votorantim Cimentos also seeks to increase the percentage of women in operational positions at all levels. In 2024, Votorantim Cimentos hired more than 100 women to work in its operations in Brazil, including in plants, mines, concrete sites and distribution centers. Currently, 15% of Votorantim Cimento' operational workforce is made up of women, totalling 1100 employees. To increase this percentage, Votorantim Cimentos invests in programmes to train and attract women.
“Diversity and Inclusion is a journey, an ongoing process that must include different approaches, from providing technical training to offer women new opportunities in the job market, to increasing the presence of women in all types of positions, including of leadership. Accordingly, we seek to create inclusive work environments that can help the company remain attractive and modern to retain the best talent, in addition to offering internal development programs,” said Cinthia Bossi.
One of Votorantim Cimentos’ initiatives to accelerate women’s inclusion and promotion to leadership positions is the Technical Training Path for Women, a development program for women working in the company’s operations in Brazil, from entry-level positions, such as apprentices and interns, to technical and leadership levels in the areas of Maintenance, Mining, Production, and Quality. More than 100 employees are currently being trained as part of the first cycle of the programme, which started in 2024. In 2024, Votorantim Cimentos also launched a knowledge path to develop female individual contributors called Initiative and Self-Development: Women Building Paths, which included the participation of 860 women throughout the year.
Another initiative, LideraVC, launched in 2020, focuses on the development of female leaders. More than 250 women have already participated in the program, which covers different topics from the perspective of gender and inclusion, such as gender stereotypes, negotiation, inclusive leadership, strategic leadership and professional image.
Recruitment and selection processes, especially for entry-level positions, are also examples of diversity and inclusion efforts. Votorantim Cimentos’ 2025 Trainee Programme has been focusing on corporate areas, such as Human Resources, Corporate Governance, Logistics, Strategic Marketing, Procurement, Digital Transformation, Sales & Marketing, and Information Technology (IT). Six of the seven participants in the new class that started in January are women. The 2024 Industrial Trainee Program recruited young adults working in engineering to develop their career in Votorantim Cementos' site. There are currently eight trainees participating in the programme, six of whom are women, who work at plants in Cantagalo (RJ), Itaú de Minas (MG), Rio Branco do Sul (PR), Sobral (CE) and Xambioá (TO).
Another Votorantim Cimentos initiative is the Evoluir Programme, which offers free professional training to employees and residents in the locations where the company operates in Brazil, expanding the participants’ opportunities in the job market and reinforcing the commitment to building a positive legacy for society. The technical courses are held in partnership with technical professional training entities, such as the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI) and the Brazilian Transportation Social Service and National Transportation Apprenticeship Service (SEST/SENAT). In 2024, the programme had 230 openings for a total of 17 classes in the areas of Mechanical Maintenance, Industrial Electrical Systems, Mining, Industrial Machinery, Electromechanics, Chemistry and Welding, with 155 openings reserved especially to women. In addition to local communities, some programs also provide technical and professional training to employees.
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