THE Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (Petrojam) is trying to lure more women into the male- dominated oil and gas industry and says it is midway through a study to identify ways of doing just that.

The study is being conducted by ARPEL Regional Association of Oil and Natural Gas Companies in Latin American and the Caribbean, of which Petrojam is a member.

“We want to know what is the role of women in the gas industry and why so few women are in the industry and what educational steps can be taken to aid women in working in technical areas of engineering processing and information systems,” said Ruth Potopsingh, deputy group managing director at Petrojam.

In addition, she said Petrojam will in April, commence a study looking at how women use energy in the households.

Potopsingh was speaking at a regional workshop last Thursday on gender analysis in the Caribbean and Latin America at the Hilton Hotel in Kingston.

She told the workshop that part of the reason the oil-field service industry tended to be dominated by men was because it primarily required engineers — a discipline that is heavily male. However, she added that the company, though not with a specific figure in mind, “was working hard to recruit women and foster an environment that encourages them to stay”.

The deputy group managing director noted that only 18 per cent of the Petrojam labour force were women.

However, she added that the figures are worse regionally, ranging between eight and 15 per cent.

She added that the company was hoping that the study, which was conducted in May 2002 and which is expected to be completed in September this year, will correct the gender imbalance that currently exists.

“We hope that the policy guidelines will help us form policy speaking to equality of men and women in the workplace,” said remarked.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, who also addressed the gathering, endorsed the study stating that “companies need to have policies that do not discriminate from hiring of women”.