In a traditionally male-dominated sector with few women in production roles, the incorporation of women into technical jobs has become a driver of change. At GH Cranes & Components, their growing participation is transforming the work ecosystem, bringing diversity and new perspectives and helping drive the future of industry

In Spain, around one in five workers in the metal sector is a woman, according to Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) data compiled by the Metal Training Foundation. In the Basque Country, the breakdown of employment also shows strong sectoral segregation: only one in 10 women in employment works in industry, with the vast majority working in the services sector. In relative terms, industry continues to employ very few women.

GH Cranes & Components is no stranger to this situation. The group’s workforce is made up of 1,151 people, of whom 12% are women. Although female representation has grown in recent decades, the imbalance remains clear, especially in technical or production positions, where they account for barely 4%.

Many female workers at GH agree that although the presence of women has increased in recent years, it remains an unresolved issue in the sector.

Nagore Omeñaca, the company’s HR technician, points to cultural and historical reasons as the cause of this under-representation of women. “We don’t receive many CVs from female candidates who have STEM degrees; that is to say, qualifications related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Nor do we receive applications from those enrolled in technical vocational training programmes. We believe this may be due to the lack of female role models in these types of studies,” she points out.

“We must break away from the idea that there are jobs for women or for men. Once we overcome this prejudice, we’ll be closer to achieving gender equality in the industry,” says Ibone Catelin, technical industrial design engineer and member of GH’s Engineering and R&D&I Management Unit.

In this regard, Amaia Aizpurua, head of the technical department for special cranes, believes that “much more work is needed in education from an early age, conveying values of equality and combating gender stereotypes through awareness-raising and training. Access to education for women in technological fields should be encouraged, along with diversity and inclusion in the workplace.”

Good practices in equality
To attract female workers, it’s not only important to give visibility to women who are already part of the industrial sector, but it’s also essential to overcome stereotypes and show that industry is also about innovation and creativity.

For this reason, over the past couple of years, GH has been making visits to third- and fourth-year secondary school students at various schools in Gipuzkoa. “In these school years, they begin to choose the subjects they want to study and we think it’s a good time to show them that the industrial sector can be equally attractive whether you’re a boy or a girl,” explains Nagore Omeñaca.

During these visits, they have found that young people have many preconceived ideas. “They think working in a workshop is hard, dirty work. Our main aim is to showcase the company first-hand, having direct contact with the students. That’s why I am accompanied by two people, a man and a woman, who work in the workshop. We explain the current situation of our industrial workshops, the professionals we have at GH, and what studies they can pursue to join us.”

For this initiative, which is part of the company’s Equality Plan, GH has been selected by the Directory of Good Practices in Equality, an initiative promoted by Emakunde and Euskalit.

Thanks to the Equality Plan, other key measures have been promoted within the organisation, such as awareness-raising and training activities on equality and harassment prevention, aimed at the entire workforce and, in particular, middle managers. Likewise, the changing rooms and toilets have been adapted and renovated with a gender perspective.

GH HAS BEEN SELECTED BY THE DIRECTORY OF GOOD PRACTICES IN EQUALITY, AN INITIATIVE PROMOTED BY EMAKUNDE AND EUSKALIT.

Furthermore, each year a pay register is compiled by gender and professional category, which makes it possible to analyse possible causes of inequality and address them. All corporate communications have also been reviewed to apply inclusive language in documents, images and internal and external materials.

Glass ceiling
Initiatives aimed at increasing the presence of women also focus on middle management and senior management positions. Studies by the Basque Women’s Institute (Emakunde) and other sector reports show that women in the metal industry have a very low presence in managerial positions.

As confirmed by Ziortza Cabo, Head of Procurement at GH´s HQ “it’s important to continue creating real opportunities for more women to access positions of responsibility, because their presence is key to achieving a more balanced, representative environment. And, for certain types of roles, women tend to remain in middle management positions.”

Mónica Ruiz, deputy director of GH Mexico, says that GH is a “very demanding company, with many opportunities for professional development, which gives you all the support to achieve your goals”.

THE COMPANIES WITH GREATER GENDER EQUALITY ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS IN TERMS OF TURNOVER AND EMPLOYMENT.

She says that, for women in the industrial sector, the path to leadership involves developing strategic and global thinking, getting involved in the company’s operations, and making decisions with in-depth knowledge of the business. “It’s not enough to just be present, we must participate actively and understand company processes in depth to make the right decisions.” Faced with this reality, she highlights the importance of promoting policies that foster equal opportunities, professional development, and a work-life balance, as well as promoting initiatives that drive female leadership, create visible internal role models for women, and transform corporate cultures.

Benefits
Gender diversity in industry is not only a matter of social justice; it is a strategy for growth, competitiveness, and innovation that brings tangible benefits to the sector.

A study by the Basque Business Development Agency (SPRI), on the impact of women on industrial competitiveness concluded in 2023 that “companies with a higher level of equality between men and women are more competitive”. The data in this report also highlighted that “the companies with greater gender equality achieve better results in terms of turnover, employment, R&D&I, and internationalisation”.