Global energy technology company SLB is taking steps forward to improve gender equality and STEM education in Angola, leveraging platforms such as the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) conference – September 3-4, 2025 – and the SLB Connect Women event – organized in April 2025 – to promote collaboration and empower women in the industry. As the industry prepares for the 2025 edition of AOG, SLB is gearing up to bring STEM education conversations to the event in September.
Led by SLB, the SLB Connect Women event brought together more than 60 stakeholders from the Angolan oil and gas sector, including Muhatu Energy Angola – a network of women in the oil industry created by Angola’s upstream regulator, the National Agency for Oil, Gas and Biofuels -, Angola’s national oil company Sonangol P&P, SLB and international energy company Azule Energy, among others. The event sought to address key challenges for women in the industry, co-creating actionable solutions for collaboration between companies, universities and public institutions.
Aligned with Angola’s broader objectives to promote gender equality and empower women – outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – SLB Connect Women aims to create a culture of collaboration in Angola’s oil and gas industry. Currently, the global oil and gas industry remains a largely male-dominated sector, with women representing 15% of the workforce and 9% of leadership. Barriers to entry, such as lack of training support and low levels of STEM participation, continue to impact the market, highlighting the need to facilitate greater investment and support for women.
To address these challenges, the SLB Connect Women event included a series of interactive workshops covering various topics under a comprehensive theme: Empowering the Future: Uniting the energy sector to promote the next generation of women leaders in STEM. Beyond networking, several commitments were made during the event, including expanding STEM outreach in schools through hands-on learning; increasing visibility of female role models; promoting awareness campaigns to address cultural and social biases; and strengthening university-industry collaboration to better prepare young women for the STEM job market. Additionally, participants committed to promoting inclusive workplace policies, focused on flexibility, pay equity and leadership development.
The event reflects a broader effort by SLB to lead gender equality and support STEM-related education in Angola. Active in the country for 56 years, SLB has been at the center of many important oil and gas projects, including the Kaminho deepwater development, led by TotalEnergies; Block 2/5, led by Etu Energias; the 3D reimaging of the Lower Congo Basin; among many others. The company also inaugurated its Africa Performance Center in Luanda in February 2025, supporting oil, gas and energy activities in the country, offering access to innovative digital solutions, such as Artificial Intelligence. Beyond oil and gas projects, SLB is driving various impact initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality in Angola. These include the SLB SEED Program – a global initiative to support STEM in underserved communities – which has reached more than 15,000 students with hands-on STEM and sustainability education. The Faculty for the Future program – funded by the Schlumberger Foundation – has also had an impact on the market, offering international scholarships for women from developing countries seeking PhDs and post-doctoral research in STEM. The SLB Connect Women event builds on these initiatives to support a more inclusive and resilient talent pool in Angola.
The event also served as a precursor to AOG, highlighting key themes such as inclusion, leadership diversity and STEM development. SLB has been an active participant in AOG, and the insights and solutions generated during the SLB Connect Women event create a solid foundation for continued collaboration and dialogue at this year’s AOG.
“The AOG conference plays a fundamental role in valuing the work that women are doing in our sector. It offers visibility, credibility and, most importantly, space to accelerate impact. At SLB, we are excited to bring the momentum from SLB Connect Women to this year’s conference and continue strengthening partnerships that open pathways to STEM for women and girls in Angola,” said Rosa Wosso, Regional Sustainability Director at SLB Angola.
