In March, to mark International Women’s Rights Day, VITOGAZ and BASAN co-hosted a roundtable—an engaging event designed to share best practices and explore a critical question: What more must we do to foster greater inclusion of women in the workplace ?
A dynamic, interactive format
This event was designed to encourage open dialogue and reflection. Bringing together 40 team members from both companies, the session featured speakers from VITOGAZ and BASAN who shared personal insights and exchanged views on three key themes: preventing harassment and discrimination, balancing work and personal life, and supporting professional development.
Preventing harassment and discrimination
The conversation highlighted initiatives already in place, including VITOGAZ’s “Integrity Line,” a confidential reporting system.
Discussions emphasized the importance of providing a safe, anonymous, and empathetic space for reporting concerns, as well as the need for ongoing training on these sensitive topics. Participants also debated the best form of support—whether internal HR support is sufficient or whether external resources, such as occupational psychologists, should be involved.
Work-life balance
The session also tackled the ongoing challenge of work-life balance. VITOGAZ presented several initiatives aimed at promoting the right to disconnect, including automated messages outside working hours and access restrictions after 9 PM. The company also supports remote work and provides educational and childcare assistance.
The role of management in tailoring support to individual needs was widely acknowledged. There was also a call to engage men more actively in supporting their partners’ career growth. While some attendees recognized significant progress toward gender equality in Madagascar, others felt that many challenges remain.
Support for professional development and advancement
BASAN presented several key initiatives aimed at empowering young talent:
- Bourse d’Excellence / an Excellence Scholarship program: Covers the full university education of selected employees’ children up to their fifth year of study. A majority of scholarship recipients are young women.
- Ankizy Génération: This academic support program introduces children to computer literacy through writing, playing, and creating email accounts. The program maintains gender parity among its participants.
- Graduate Program: Designed for Master’s graduates (Bac+4/5) with internship experience, this learning path currently includes a majority of young women.
This discussion naturally evolved into a key question: Should women aiming for senior leadership roles receive specific support? While the majority felt such support should not be gender-specific, they agreed it must be tailored to each individual’s skill set. Importantly, fostering broader team involvement—across genders—was seen as critical for encouraging wider acceptance of women in leadership roles.
Closing and Looking Ahead
The event concluded with a networking cocktail, offering a relaxed setting to continue conversations and strengthen connections. This moment of conviviality left participants hopeful for future editions that would continue to drive this important dialogue forward.
BASAN. Live better, today and tomorrow.