Women in Midstream: Inspiring Stories and Reflections on Gender Equity at Rio Pipeline
On Wednesday (10), the IBP booth hosted one of the most popular debates of its program: the panel “Women in Operations: Female Leadership in Midstream”. Moderated by Carla Diniz (NTS), with contributions from Camila Faria (TAG) and Keurrie Cipriano (Transpetro), the session featured an open conversation about careers, challenges, and women’s achievements in a sector historically dominated by men. The session was opened by Carolina Abreu, from IBP’s Sustainability team, who emphasized the importance of creating spaces that highlight inspiring women in the oil and gas industry.
Moderated by Carla Diniz, the panel shared data on female representation in technical and leadership positions, showing gradual progress — such as the rising number of women engineers and examples of companies where women already account for more than 40% of the workforce. According to Carla, the goal of the discussion was to inspire young professionals and encourage the creation of a support network among women in the industry.
Sharing her journey, Camila Faria recalled how her passion for operations began during her internship and grew stronger with the dynamic nature of gas transportation, where every day brings new learning opportunities. Keurrie Cipriano, on the other hand, reflected on the challenges of being the only woman in leadership roles in the past and stressed the importance of occupying decision-making spaces, facing resistance, and combating prejudice. Both highlighted the role of gender equity policies, mentoring programs, and support networks as key enablers for more women to advance in their careers.
The debate also touched on themes such as motherhood and career, underscoring the need for companies to respect and support women’s choices at all stages of their professional lives. For the participants, breaking unconscious biases and amplifying women’s voices are essential for ensuring that female presence in operations continues to grow and reshape the industry’s culture.
The Importance of Women’s Inclusion in the O&G Sector
Although female participation in Brazil’s oil and gas sector is still limited, the landscape is gradually shifting thanks to structured initiatives by major companies. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, gender equity remains a challenge, particularly in leadership roles: recent data shows that only 1% of CEOs are women and that just 16% of positions in domestic companies are held by women. However, studies indicate that organizations with greater gender diversity perform better financially, are more resilient, and show stronger capacity for innovation.
To advance in this context, it is essential to ensure women’s full participation at all decision-making levels, from hiring to executive positions. Training programs, affirmative recruitment policies, pay equity, breastfeeding rooms, gender-appropriate locker rooms, and tailored PPE are examples of measures that help create a more inclusive workplace. In addition, harassment reporting channels ensure safety and strengthen corporate ethics.
Through its Gender Working Group, IBP has been promoting research and practices aimed at increasing female representation in the sector. Initiatives such as setting inclusion targets, mentoring programs, building support networks, and raising awareness about unconscious bias contribute to a fairer workplace, inspiring women’s careers while reinforcing the social and economic sustainability of Brazil’s oil and gas industry.
IBP also leverages its major events to foster debates on diversity and gender equity, encouraging women to support one another and to actively participate in the sector. Meanwhile, UnIBP — the Institute’s corporate university — offers mentoring and development programs, creating concrete opportunities for women to engage and grow in a field that still faces gender equity challenges.
