The Vice-President of Angola, Esperança da Costa, on Thursday encouraged companies in the mining, oil and gas sector to make greater efforts towards greater gender participation.Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 'Women in Mining Oil and Gas' oil and gas conference, the politician deplored the fact that the oil industry is currently dominated by men.Esperança da Costa pointed out that data from the country's regulatory agency and other players show that women represent only roughly 14 percent of the workforce in the oil and gas sector and four percent in leading positions.The Vice-president called on companies of the oil sector in the country to rigorously analyze all the barriers to women's employment and, consequently, to adopt business strategies to achieve equity.ExecutiveEsperança da Costa explained that companies should take into account mentoring and sponsorship programs, the application of diversity objectives at executive level, paid maternity leave and programs to prevent sexual ha rassment and gender-based violence.The call, she said, should not just be seen as an action to meet indicators, but because women have proven themselves capable of transforming organizations, with perseverance, a spirit of solidarity and high responsibility.According to Esperança da Costa, the government has paid special attention to 'gender equality', considering it not just a matter of principle, but a fundamental human right on the governance agenda.The Vice-President underscored that Angola has promoted and adopted a set of policies to promote diversity and equity, having achieved gender equality with more than 40 percent of women in political life and leadership.Esperança da Costa added that institutional and gender-specific barriers continue to hinder women's empowerment and prevent their full participation in society and industry.The conferenceThe conference, which brings together more than 300 professionals of the oil sector, aims to highlight the positive contribution of women to developm ent of the mining, oil and gas industries.Held under the motto: Building the future - towards the next generation of women leaders in the mining, oil and gas industry in Angola.The event, an initiative of Recall Communication and Event Ltd and the British magazine Diamond Review Africa, aims to encourage female leadership in the mining, oil and gas industry in Angola, offering opportunities for networking, training and knowledge exchange.The meeting to end Thursday is addressing topics such as 'The importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace', 'Sustainability and social responsibility', 'How to create a successful career' and 'Technology and innovation', among others.Source: Angola Press News Agency