97 Gender parity in Brazil – and worldwide – is always on the agenda, since the gap between men and women is still large by several metrics, but especially when it comes to professional opportunities and salary differences. Here, there are still more sensitive points, such as economic participation and political empowerment, but the good news is that, with an increasingly active approach and more incisive debate, important changes have been seen, and this gap is being shrunk. To illustrate, let’s look at some numbers. According to a survey on gender parity conducted by the World Economic Forum in 146 countries, in 2019 Brazil ranked 92nd based on the following pillars: economic participation and opportunities, educational level, health and survival, and political empowerment. In 2023, it ranked 57th. When we move from the global to the regional sphere, which includes 22 Latin American countries, in the same period, Brazil went from 25th to 14th place in this ranking. Another important piece of data, which reflects the evolution of the issue in recent years, comes from the study carried out by the consulting firm Idados with results from the National Household Sample Survey/ IBGE in March 2023. The average wage gap in Brazil in 2017 between men and women was 23.40%, and fell to 20.50% in 2021. But there is still room for improvement. And to ensure that this development continues in a sustainable manner, women’s participation must be full and effective, with equal opportunities for leadership. And how will this be possible? With the help of important initiatives such as the Time & Voice Movement, created in 2020 by the Cargo Transport Company Association in Sao Paulo and the Region (Setcesp) to valorize women who work in road cargo transport, in addition to fostering their professional growth within the sector and attracting new talent. Inside the movement - Women are present in all sectors of the economy and in all areas of activity, including in the road freight transport sector. However, despite the growing participation of women, gender equality in the corporate world really needs to receive greater attention in order to be effective. Women began working in transport in the mid-1990s in administrative roles. Today they work in the operational areas, checking cargo and driving trucks. Currently, the movement has more than 90 signatories throughout Brazil, including transport companies and representative associations – such as ANFIR – which are engaged in expanding women’s participation in this important economic segment that moves more than 60% of everything produced in the country. The commitment is to encourage transport companies to become a more inclusive, respectful and supportive environment for competency-based work, regardless of gender. According to Ana Jarrouge, executive president of Setcesp and creator of the Time & Voice Movement, the action has three main objectives: to valorize women in the sector, to foster their professional growth, and to attract female talent into road freight transport. “We needed to have something that would raise awareness, guide and lead transport companies towards gender equality,” she says. The figures available at the time were not encouraging. “Having only 15% of jobs held by women in the sector was too low, given that there are numerous opportunities. So, it is our role to make diversity and, especially, inclusion part of the strategy for transport companies.” Ana also explains that it was essential to shed light on the subject so that entrepreneurs could see the importance of diversity for their businesses. In addition, it was also necessary to create awareness that the entire process should be planned, otherwise it would be frustrating for all parties. In order to include women in a traditionally and culturally masculine environment, several steps and perspectives had to be considered. “We realize that the diversity and gender equality agenda has been gaining ground in strategies for transport companies, whether by market demands or by their own will. So, they have sought out more information and guidance, and exchanged experiences within the Time & Voice Movement.” The movement has accompanied the increase, albeit at levels still below ideal, in the number of women drivers, job opportunities and training programs for women in our segment. “So the answer is yes, we are achieving our goals,” says Ana. More numerous and (even) more powerful The Time & Voice Movement valorizes women working in road freight transport and fosters new talent.
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