Women and leadership: the nucleus of transformation for a sustainable future

For the chemical company, gender equity and inclusion are core values for sustainable development both within the organization and in its relations with the communities surrounding its operations, and it meets this challenge through the diverse actions and commitments highlighted during the celebration of International Women’s Day.

As of December 2021, women accounted for nearly 19% of SQM’s total workforce, a total of 1,149 women working in different positions and sites. This is a 20% increase over 2020 (924) and includes all three levels defined by the organization: the executive level, where 17.1% are women; the supervisory level, where this figure is 30.7%; and the general workforce, in which 12.3% of workers are female.

Bárbara Blümel, Deputy Manager of People at SQM, explained: “So far in 2022, despite the effects of the pandemic, our company is continuing to hire women on our different production lines, always in line with the goals of our robust Sustainability Plan, which offers solutions for human progress and concern for Our People, communities, and Our Environment. That is why we continue to enhance our hiring selection processes, attracting diverse, talented people to the company.”

The executive further commented that women’s increased participation is the result of several actions, including employability workshops in the communities surrounding our operations, the inclusion of women in the operations and maintenance areas’ Apprentice Program and offering female interns the incentive of possible future employment. Added to these is the so-called “go out and look” approach, under which the company has forged agreements with technical-professional institutes such as INACAP Tarapacá and Antofagasta, Universidad Arturo Prat and Universidad Santo Tomás and vocational schools near our operations, offering professional and technical internships and giving motivational talks.

CLIMATE ACTION

In the community, SQM supports countless initiatives in which women play a leading role, including a range of community projects the organization is currently implementing in northern Chile to generate shared value through four lines of action: Education and Culture, Social and Production Development, Historical Heritage and Healthy Living.

Environmental education and climate action are also part of the company’s work in the territory that is marked by women’s leadership. One such example is Carolina Elgueta, Director of Fundación Mr.Barber and Fundación Turismo Sustentable, who highlights: “My role has been to promote the educational process and practice of recycling and vegetable gardening, both at home and in schools, and other types of citizen participation.”

Another is Daniela Núñez, founding partner of the ecosocial enterprise Verdical, who notes that: “In my professional role, I work with our team to develop initiatives aimed at enhancing communities, building capacities and skills associated with SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). The aim is to create agents of change who can replicate ecological projects close to home, such as in schools, neighborhood associations and others.”

COLLABORATION NETWORK

Providing tools to promote entrepreneurship, strengthen the economy and value the recovery of territorial traditions and heritage are just some themes addressed in the workshops SQM sponsors in northern Chile. A case in point is the new cycle of the “Saberes y Sabores de Nuestra Tierra” (Knowledge and Flavors of our Land) initiative, which seeks to recover and share the ancient culinary arts of the Aymara people in Quillagua.

Also during 2021, for the third year running, a group of 20 women from the localities of Quillagua and María Elena participated in part II of a workshop on traditional textile-making as a small business, working with llama and sheep wool. A similar program, Casa Telar, was organized in Salar de Atacama and implemented by Fundación ONA. It strengthens knowledge and recovers the Lickan Antay tradition of textile-making in a shared community setting.

An outstanding example in the Tarapacá Region is the high-impact Hojalata Flower workshop, which not only contributes to the recovery of this Pampas funerary art but also promotes the collaboration network.  Betty Santander, President of the Centro Social y Cultural Proyección Puzzle in Pozo Almonte, comments: “We have realized that we can reach the women in our towns through art and culture while working on different social issues, such as women’s integration into the workforce, recovering our heritage and even family violence.”