Inspiring
women to lead in the energy sector and industry at large to improve the
imbalance of representation, is an ambition to be realised by all, according to
Mariam Kane-Garcia, the newly appointed CEO and Managing Director of Total
South Africa. 



She wants
to encourage and inspire people to push the boundaries of possibility,
regardless of the minority groups they belong to; while at the same time emphasising
the importance of not doing so at the expense or the credibility of minority
groups, specifically women in leadership. 



She
lives with the conviction that a diverse workforce and management team drives
the competitiveness of the business, the ability to innovate, the ability to
attract opportunities and their social license to operate. 



“At
Total, we enable all our employees to develop their professional skills and
advance in their career without discrimination of any kind.” 



However,
the presence of women leadership in the energy sector is still insufficient,
despite progress. The ‘Global Energy Talent Index Report 2020’, found that
women make up only 8% of the workforce in the global oil &amp; gas sector, 9%
in each of the petrochemical and power sectors, 12% in the nuclear sector, and
15% in the renewables sector.



Furthermore,
says the report, only 17% of women (of an already small pool) are placed on
leadership training programmes, compared to 22% of men. And the fact that women
have shown preference to training, learning and development suggests that
they’re still coming up against a glass ceiling and are eager for opportunities
to smash through it.



Mariam
emphasises that there is an opportunity for all in tackling the imbalance and
being catalysts for change instead of casualties for change. Diversity is a key
performance lever for success and both men and women have a critical role to
play in realising much change to rebalance industries. The task is not to
shoulder the typical roles assigned in industry, but for women and men to
interlink as the connective fibre that will materialise the successful growth
of industries in a notable way, as well as the economy. 



The
reasons for women’s underrepresentation in the sector are complex. There are
historical factors. Even today, research suggest that young girls are not
encouraged to eye careers in what is considered a technical, or masculine
industry. 



With
that in mind, it’s critical that women pursue and embrace the opportunities
that come their way, says Mariam Kane-Garcia, who is the first woman to hold
the senior position at Total South Africa. “Total offered me a managed career
path and I seized these opportunities successfully,” she says.



This
reciprocal relationship with Total has kept Kane-Garcia with the company for
nearly 20 years. She grew up in West Africa – Mauritania and Côte d&#8217;Ivoire –
and attended the ESCP Business School in Paris. She joined Total shortly after
finishing at the ESCP in 2001, and has held a series of positions in finance,
strategy, and business development at group offices in France, the UK,
Singapore and Vietnam. In 2019, she moved to South Africa as Executive Vice President
for marketing and services Southern Africa, and as CEO and Managing Director of
Total South Africa.



As a
vocal champion for diversity and inclusivity, she feels strongly that women
should be represented, not as a minority, but because they are deserving. This
will ensure that the wrong message is not sent and that it does not dilute the
impact of their performance in achieving their status. 



Not
only do women have to be placed in more leadership positions, but they also
need more exposure to technical roles, starting with education and vocational
training. 



Total
South Africa is committed to long term partnerships within the communities in
which it operates and has partnered with the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries Female Entrepreneurship Awards since 2003. Total South
Africa also supports other talent linked initiatives like Buskaid and Afrika
Tikkun, to create shared value and ensure the development of women at
grassroots.



In
2006, the company created its own Total Women Initiative for Communication and
Exchange (TWICE) Network as a platform to help women find their way and fulfil
their potential in the company, and Kane-Garcia herself set up the Twice Network
for Total UK’s upstream operations. 



When
it comes to gender equality, both women and men have to contribute.



We
stand to benefit from women and men’s unique contributions to truly propel the
energy sector forward. We need to create solutions with a business model as to
not simply place a band-aid on issues but rather create sustainable solutions
with a long-term commitment to solve and defy barriers. 



She concludes that, “If we are more inclusive, we are more connected; and if we are more diverse, we are more creative in solving the challenges we face.”



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Here’s how Mariam Kane-Garcia is leading the way at Total South Africa