Spearheaded by SLB, the SLB Connect Women event united over 60 stakeholders from the Angolan oil and gas sector, including Muhatu Energy Angola – a network of women in the oil industry established by Angola’s upstream regulator, the National Oil, Gas & Biofuels Agency –, 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 by co-creating actionable solutions for collaboration between companies, universities and public institutions.

Aligning with Angola’s broader goals 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. As it stands, the global oil and gas industry continues to be a largely male-dominated sector, with women accounting for 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 a need to facilitate greater investment and support for women.

To address these challenges, the SLB Connect Women event featured a series of interactive workshops covering various topics under an overarching theme: Empowering the Future: Uniting the Energy Industry to Champion the Next Generation of Female STEM Leaders. Beyond networking, a number of commitments were made during the event, including expanding STEM outreach in schools through hands-on learning; increasing the visibility of female role models; promoting awareness campaigns to address cultural and social biases; and enhancing university-industry collaboration to better prepare young women for the STEM job market. Additionally, participants committed to fostering inclusive workplace policies, focusing on flexibility, pay equity and leadership development.

The event reflects a broader drive by SLB to spearhead gender equality and support STEM-related education in Angola. Active in the country for 56 years, SLB has been at the center of many major oil and gas projects, including the TotalEnergies-led Kaminho deepwater development; the Etu Energias-led Block 2/5; Lower Congo Basin 3D reimaging; 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 by offering access to innovative digital solutions such as Artificial Intelligence. Beyond oil and gas projects, SLB is driving several impactful 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 Schlumberger Foundation – has also impacted the market, offering international fellowships for women from developing countries pursuing PhD and post-doctoral research in STEM. The SLB Connect Women event builds on these initiatives to support a more inclusive, 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 long been an active participant at AOG, and insights and solutions generated during the SLB Connect Women event create a solid foundation for continued collaboration and dialogue at AOG this year.

“The AOG conference plays a pivotal role in elevating the work women are doing in our industry. It offers visibility, credibility and most importantly, space to accelerate impact. At SLB, we’re excited to carry the momentum from SLB Connect Women into this year’s conference and continue strengthening partnerships that open pathways to STEM for women and girls across Angola,” stated Rosa Wosso, Regional Manager Sustainability, SLB Angola.