Women in Newfoundland and Labrador’s Petroleum Industry

Although women account for approximately 47 per cent of the Newfoundland and Labrador workforce, female participation in the province’s prosperous petroleum industry remains extremely low. Female participation is particularly low in the local offshore sector. Less than 5% of those employed on Hibernia’s Bull Arm construction site were women. Moreover, when the production phase of the project began, only 5% of those employed on the Hibernia offshore platform were women. Female participation rates are similarly low in other petroleum industry projects in the province, with their participation levels typically ranging from 1% to 6% in non-traditional occupations.

Although women’s representation in the industry remains low, forecasted skilled labour shortages associated with the province’s large-scale projects have emphasized the need to raise female participation rates. In order to ensure that women are able to take full advantage of the beneficial opportunities available within the province’s prominent petroleum industry, WRDC is working to collaborate with all key stakeholders to promote and create effective initiatives aimed at breaking down the barriers to female participation in this non-traditional sector.