Gender equality
We are committed to constantly evolving and always improving by promoting equality between men and women at all levels.
We believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are fundamental to how we operate at RWE. Therefore, in order to create and maintain a diverse workforce, we focus on making systemic changes throughout our organisation that reduce and remove bias, changing our habits and processes for good. That is why we call our approach an Inclusion First culture as these foundations foster a truly inclusive company culture.
At RWE we encourage everyone to be involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion activities. It is a priority for us to create a strong DE&I mindset that we are all responsible for. That’s why we ensure that we run a variety of initiatives and events so everyone can participate globally and locally. We bring these events to everyone without barriers or boundaries. Here’s a brief look at our ever-growing inclusive culture in some of our locations:
We invite our employees from around the world to share their stories and experiences so we can all learn and appreciate new perspectives. Our podcast series and internal articles, covering topics such as microaggressions, disability inclusion, the importance of Black History Month, and LGBT*IQ allyship give employees a chance to learn more about our diverse colleagues. Offering the opportunity to understand different experiences which may not have been exposed before, is just one of the many benefits of our diverse and inclusive culture.
Moreover, newsletters provide helpful DE&I knowledge nuggets and are also short learning impulses which teams can use in the workplace or employees in their everyday lives.
Our employees are able to discuss what diversity means to them on a regular basis in person. For example, our Coffee Corner Exchanges engaged employees in meaningful conversations and fun diversity activities that they may not otherwise have been a part of in their day-to-day roles.
Covering topics and events from intercultural communication, privilege and movie lunchtimes, employees are able to ask and answer thoughtful questions on topics such as sexual identity, privilege, racial and gender equality, disability inclusion and more. Learning alongside colleagues is just one way in which we can collectively develop our DE&I mindset and foster our inclusive culture at RWE.
Global and local webinars address relevant and prevalent DE&I topics. Our webinars are often impactful and meaningful sessions that cover how important and beneficial it is to be different to those around you at work. Whilst inclusion is not always easy, it is something we must all strive towards by using our uniqueness to work together as an effective team.
RWE regularly invites employees to join insightful webinars by external speakers to tell their inspirational personal stories. These online and in-person sessions provide employees with the chance to enhance their knowledge about inclusion-based topics, benefitting themselves as well as the diverse range of colleagues they work with. Previous topics have included embracing purpose and inclusive self-leadership with renowned speaker Dr. Kamel K Hothi OBE, neuroscience and diversity with Katharina Krentz, and intersectionality with Natasha Bowman, JD.
Encouraging employees to think outside the box and learn from new perspectives calls for an innovative approach. In the US, virtual tours such as our interactive Black History Month virtual tour took employees on a journey, allowing them to virtually visit important historical and cultural sites.
Employees represent RWE at various Pride Marches including the RuhrPride March in Essen. LGBT*IQ colleagues and friends are a prime example of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In our German locations, we offer innovative opportunities to learn about DE&I topics. For example, we held an Impro-Theatre in which Essen employees learnt about diversity in an engaging and creative way. Acting out key DE&I terms and learning from them in a supportive environment allowed employees to grow their DE&I mindsets.
Employees in various sites are often invited to engage in DE&I in creative ways. From sharing “What does Diversity Mean to You?” on our Diversity Tree or advocating for creative and cultural spins on our canteen menus for Diwali, everyone is encouraged to be involved.
Please click on the tiles to learn more about RWEs international recognitions and rankings.
After evaluating thousands of direct and indirect recommendations from a diverse pool of employees, reviewing the share of women in executive and board positions and investigating our Inclusion First culture, RWE has been proudly awarded this title multiple times.
This ranking recognises RWE’s special contributions towards diversity and inclusion projects. Those who promote women’s careers in corporate environments create cultural openness.