Hello Women
What did you want to achieve?
In 2020, we launched the Hello Women program, designed to tackle the worldwide challenge of recruiting and retaining women within our technical teams. Our aim is to achieve a representation of 25% women in these teams at the Group level by 2025. The program is composed of four key components:
- Raising awareness of technical careers among schoolgirls and students.
- Identifying and attracting women, whom we can bring into our workforce.
- Providing support to women seeking to transition into a technical career.
- Implementing initiatives to retain women in technical roles at Orange.
What did you do?
Between 2021 and 2024, the Group financed and deployed 26 new projects across more than 20 countries, with new partnerships identified through calls for projects. We also enhanced the visibility of numerous existing initiatives within the Group and shared best practices. We conducted surveys to gain a better understanding of the experience and expectations of women in technical roles at Orange. This information enabled us to tailor our efforts to provide them with optimal career opportunities and a balanced work-life environment. As an example, Orange took part in the 2021 Gender Scan, an international survey involving multiple companies.
In terms of communication, we organised Hello Women events in Paris in both December 2021 and January 2023, complemented by a robust presence on social media. Furthermore, we orchestrated over 100 internal and external events across 70 cities globally, all centred around the theme of women in technology for International Women’s Day 2023. Additionally, we forged a partnership with Chut ! Magazine in France starting from June 2022. Orange has been involved in five editions since 2021. Our communication efforts encompassed both internal and external campaigns, highlighting accomplished female role models in technical professions.
What are the results so far?
The representation of women in technical roles within the Group, which encompasses 136,000 employees, rose from 20.94% in 2021 to 21.15% in 2022, and further to 21.4% by June 2023. Additionally, the percentage of women hired for technical positions across the Group increased from 22.6% in 2021 to 25.46% in 2022.
Since 2021, Hello Women awareness-raising initiatives have connected with more than 10,000 girls worldwide.
What have you learned?
Breaking down stereotypes and motivating young girls to pursue technical studies, while also encouraging women to explore technical careers, is a widespread, societal challenge that requires sustained effort and dedication to address. However, it can be tackled through constant, reiterative communication and awareness-building, such as the use of relatable and inspiring role models. Additionally, collaboration with trusted partners who bring valuable expertise and experience to the table is crucial in this endeavour.
