SDG #5: Gender equality
WAAK is seriously committed to promoting diversity. In our company you can be who you want to be, regardless of nationality, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Our strength is in our diversity, and it is a defining aspect of our identity.
Some of our activities might traditionally be more male or female-oriented, but it is still our goal to make those environments as diverse as possible. So at WAAK you’ll find male cleaners, and female gardeners and metal workers. You will find this equality at all levels, from shop floor to the highest management level: we do not allow stereotypical gender roles to hold our employees back. M/F/X, all have equal opportunities at WAAK, and you can follow the career path that you want. A wonderful illustration of this is the story of our colleague Kirke, now Order Supervisor of our Green Care Services:
Kirke has a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Biotechnology (with a specialisation in Green Management), which is not perhaps a typical choice for a woman as this has traditionally been a very male environment. After graduating from school, Kirke did not find it easy to get a job. Sometimes she was told quite frankly that the position wasn’t suitable for a woman.
After eight months, a couple of interim jobs, and a lot of disappointment, she started at WAAK as a Team Supervisor in Green Care Services. It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but it was a good way to start her career. For four years she led a team of five male workers and was accepted right from the outset. Kirke said: “Being a woman, it was not difficult to work in a so-called men’s world. In my opinion, and compared to other companies, WAAK is very open-minded”. After four years, she was confident enough to apply for a ‘Logistics Planner’ job, a role that was far better aligned with her educational background.
Originally Kirke only planned to work a few shifts, but now, six years on, she is responsible for the long-term planning of the entire Green Care Services department.