Gender equality and diversity

Adif undertakes to promote the necessary conditions for effective equality between women and men, as well as to banish any kind of discrimination. This challenge is a priority for the company's people management strategy, corporate culture, and social commitment.

People are Adif's engine, as reflected in the 2030 Strategic Plan, and achieving full equality and diversity is one of the challenges that the company has set for itself. For historical reasons and given the sector Adif operates in, the company has a predominantly male workforce. Although female representation is progressing (15%), it is doing so more slowly than the company would like.

The goal is to speed up the pace so that the gender gap is narrowed, especially in certain professions, and to continue the ongoing trend of increasing female leadership, currently at 22%.

Initiatives

The commitment to a diverse and inclusive company is made possible through the following initiatives:

Adaptation of the II Adif Equality Plan (Download document)
Program of Initiatives for the Promotion of Equality
Collaboration with the Women and Engineering Program of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Participation since 2014 in the network “Companies for a society free of gender-based violence”
Declaration of equal opportunities for men and women in the transport sector Women in Transport
Participation in Target Gender Equality, a program promoted by the United Nations Global Compact
Adherence to the Women's Empowerment Principles
Presence on the platform Women in Transport – EU Platform for change

Education

Adif is closely linked to the education sector to make the railway and its values known to the school and university population. Familiarizing younger generations with railway infrastructure and safety, respect for the environment, social cohesion, equality and diversity, public service, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an investment in the present and future of our company.

We want to stimulate interest in railway professions, particularly in engineering and technical disciplines (STEM), with a special focus on girls and young women.
Our goal is to attract female talent, increase the number of women in scientific and technological professions, and promote female leadership.

We also work to strengthen the presence of Adif and the railway sector in the academic world, by collaborating with human and pedagogical resources to spread the concept of sustainable mobility and infrastructures and to convey the company's vision and needs to universities.

Projects

This commitment to education is articulated through projects such as the following:

Collaboration with the Women and Engineering Program of the Royal Academy of Engineering

III Edition of the Lidera Mentoring Program. Press release
The Women and Engineering Program visits your school
VI Edition of the Excellence Program for the Development of Female STEM Talent
Cross-mentoring with other companies

Adherence to the “STEAM Alliance for the female talent. Girls standing for science,” an initiative aimed at reducing the existing gender gap in these disciplines.

Professional internship program at Adif