Almost a quarter of Deutsche Bahn employees now women
The railway industry, historically male-dominated, is witnessing an increasing presence of female colleagues across various roles, from train drivers to maintenance personnel. The number of women working at Deutsche Bahn (DB) continues to rise, reaching 55,000 nationwide, accounting for 24.1 per cent of the workforce, up from 23.6 per cent the previous year.
In March, dubbed the World Women’s Month, DB received around 11,000 applications from women, hiring over 800. The proportion of female executives at DB has also increased, reaching 29.4 per cent, a rise of more than two percentage points within a year, inching closer to the year-end goal of 30 per cent. DB aims for equitable participation in the long run.
DB’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Martin Seiler, stated, “We are not only committed to recruiting more women and promoting them to leadership positions but also value the contributions of women already within the company. We are proud of our progress so far but recognize room for improvement. Diversity is integral to our ethos, and we actively support our female employees.”
On March 7, DB was honoured for the second consecutive year by the FKi Diversity for Success initiative as ‘most female-friendly company’ in Germany.
Gender equality initiatives
Throughout March, DB celebrated World Women’s Month with a nationwide campaign titled “55,000 Role Models. And You.” This included social media campaigns, recruiting events, and panel discussions, focusing on technical railway professions in the STEM field.
To further increase female representation in the workforce and in leadership positions, DB implements various measures in recruitment, development, and employment conditions. These include a tailored recruiting strategy with 30 initiatives, such as part-time job offers in job postings. Moreover, flexible working hour models and career development programs cater to a life-phase-oriented approach to work.
DB provides specialised training opportunities for women, including individual career consultations, networking events, and development programs. Transparent succession planning ensures clarity and advancement opportunities in appointments.
Lastly, DB stated in a press release that to them, equal participation is not only a societal responsibility but also a key to a successful and innovative corporate culture. Hence, it became a supporting member of “FidAR e.V.,” the initiative for increasing female representation in corporate boards, last year.
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