Surveying the World Petroleum Congress

Canada Powered by Women had the honour of taking over the Women in Industry booth at the Sustainability and Social Responsibility pavilion during the 24th World Petroleum Congress, held in Calgary from Sept 17-21st.

The team was able to interact with engaged women who attended the congress, and connected with groups affiliated with the energy sector for open and honest discussions in a more personal and informal manner.

We also actively recruited new members, encouraging them to sign up and asking them two important questions to gather their insights on the spot.

We shared that 90% of engaged women support or are neutral that Canada’s oil and gas positively impacts economic prosperity (that is more than 4 million women). Then we asked what they thought of that stat.

At the World Petroleum Congress, half (50%) of respondents were surprised to hear that number was so high, 38% thought it felt about right, and 12% said they thought that number would be higher.

The second question was about connecting the dots between Canada’s oil and gas industry and how it contributes to the country’s economy and prosperity. Our research shows that a significant majority (86%) of women were able to identify some benefits of the energy sector on an unaided basis.

Picking from a multiple choice list 13% said the energy sector contributes to a strong economy, 6% said the industry contributes to general affordability, 6% said it’s a source for transportation, and a whopping 75% of respondents said all of the above (which was the correct answer).

The event was a huge success. Being able to speak directly with engaged women about energy transformation and the amplification of women’s voices was a significant opportunity.

We extend our sincere thanks to Women in Industry for allowing us to take over their booth.