Gender Equality
Grounding equality to build the future.
At terrasol, we regard professional gender equality as a fundamental value, inseparable from our vision of geotechnical engineering.
In a historically male-dominated sector, we firmly believe that diversity is an asset and an essential lever for meeting the technical, human and environmental challenges of our profession.
Promoting equality means giving every talent the means to express themselves, innovate and contribute to building the sustainable infrastructure of tomorrow.
Female engineers at the heart of our projects
The profession of female geotechnical engineer fully illustrates this dynamic. Combining scientific rigour, technical expertise and a practical sense of the field, it requires an overarching vision of projects, as well as the ability to innovate and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders. At terrasol, our female engineers work on the same assignments as their male counterparts, namely:
- Soil investigations,
- Foundation design,
- Risk analyses,
- Instrumentation,
- Site supervision.
Their expertise directly contributes to the quality, safety and durability of the structures we design. By recognising their role, we also wish to inspire future generations and encourage more young women to join this rewarding profession and take on positions of responsibility within our field.
A vision for the future.
At terrasol, gender equality is not a one-off objective but a long-term commitment.
We wish to build a company culture where everyone, regardless of their identity, can grow, progress and contribute to ambitious and responsible projects.
Our equality index
Our commitment in figures Each year, we measure our progress through the Gender Equality Index.
Our priorities focus in particular on:
Remuneration & progression
- Ensuring strict pay equality for equivalent roles,
- Guaranteeing the same salary increases,
- Ensuring fair treatment upon return from extended leave (maternity leave in particular).
Representation & promotion
- Offering the same eligibility criteria for promotion to all,
- Maintaining a management presence rate representative of the gender balance within our workforce,
- Guaranteeing equal access to representative functions,
- Creating dedicated spaces for women to discuss career development and work-life balance.
Recruitment
- Applying a non-discrimination policy in hiring,
- Guaranteeing fair conditions for all profiles, including experienced candidates.
Words from our female colleagues
Jasmine, Senior Project Manager
“I joined INSA Lyon straight after my A-levels, and then took part in an exchange programme in China, at Tongji University, for my final year. I subsequently worked for six months in Singapore before joining terrasol in May 2019. I am based in Paris.
I am currently working on several projects, including 2D and 3D studies on nuclear power plants in England. I am also working on VISA assignments for the CDG Express, which will connect the Gare de l’Est to Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport.
I enjoy working in engineering — I have always loved science, and it is a field that suits me well. I carry out various calculations across a wide range of projects. At secondary school, engineering sciences were rather seen as a path for men. Yet we are perfectly capable, as women, of working in engineering.
At terrasol, there are nearly as many women as men. I therefore do not encounter any particular difficulties as a woman. The higher up the hierarchy one goes, the more men there are. But this is a historical pattern, linked to the fact that, in the past, there were far fewer women in civil engineering. I have always felt ‘in my rightful place’ as a woman.”