One of the key management pillars of the CGPD’s President’s Office is gender issues. With that in mind we articulated different actions with focus on SDG 5. Thus, the Puerto Dock Sud Gender Perspective and Diversity Commission was created. For the first time in its history, this initiative allows our port to advance policies addressing issues such as harassment, gender violence, discrimination and sexist language, to assist women and members of the LGBTI+ community. Additionally, a new gender violence protocol and new coexistence rules at the workplace were put into effect.
With the aim of creating opportunities so that the inclusion proposed becomes a reality and to strengthen the bonds with the community in the “Community – Port” management area, we created the “Train for Work” program. This initiative is articulated with the municipality of Avellaneda, province of Buenos Aires, and Astillero Río Santiago (Rio Santiago shipyard), with the aim of creating more opportunities by teaching courses on different crafts using a gender perspective. These courses provide better employability to women and in doing so they reduce the gap between men and women working in the port environment.
The needs of companies in the proximity of CGPD were surveyed and the crafts with the highest demand were shortlisted. Candidates were selected jointly with the municipality of Avellaneda. Partnerships were created and articulated with trainers and the performance of the each participating woman was closely followed up.
The program, which entailed an investment of one hundred and fifty thousand pesos per participating student, had a completion rate of 80%. Additionally, thanks to the participation in the program, one of the first graduates got a job at the “Mar Profundo” company at the YPF terminal, which specializes in horizontal oil drilling. Another set of participants are in the pre-selection stages to get employed by different companies. These outcomes fulfill one of the major challenges of this action, to create skilled labor within the Avellaneda community, where Puerto Dock Sud belongs, and to provide women with new tools to expand their work opportunities in the port setting.
Following the success of the program, a second “Train for Work” round will be taking place in 2023. With these efforts, Puerto Dock Sud aims to continue creating a positive and inclusive work environment by increasing the number of women working in our industry.