TotalEnergies has argued that strengthening local content in Mozambique depends on investment in training and on creating the conditions for greater participation by women across the energy, technology, engineering, and broader economic value chains.
The position was presented on Wednesday in Maputo by Layla Shemane, a TotalEnergies representative, during the 4th edition of the Women in the Economy Conference, organised by the Foundation for Community Development (FDC).
According to Shemane, training is closely linked to local content development, as building the capacity of national companies and skills requires the involvement of all segments of society. “There will be no strong and inclusive local content without investment in people’s capacity-building, and when we speak of capacity-building, we are necessarily speaking of the participation of women,” she said.
Shemane argued that more girls and women must have access to the qualifications needed to take advantage of the opportunities created by major projects and the growth of strategic sectors. “In a context where sectors such as energy, technology, and engineering are gaining ever greater relevance to the country’s development, it is essential to ensure that more girls and women have access to the skills that will allow them to seize the opportunities being created,” she declared.
Under programmes supported by TotalEnergies and the partners of the Mozambique LNG Project, Shemane noted that 48% of the 105 scholarship students who benefited from higher education training in France are women. In Cabo Delgado, she added, 2,544 young people were trained through the Alberto Cassimo Vocational Training and Labour Studies Institute (IFPELAC) and the Industrial and Commercial Institute of Pemba, with women accounting for 46.5% of beneficiaries.
Despite progress achieved, Shemane cautioned that training alone is not sufficient, calling for the creation of conditions that allow knowledge gained to be converted into concrete employment, entrepreneurship, leadership, and decision-making opportunities. “The real objective is not simply to train women. It is to create conditions so that this training translates into employment, entrepreneurship, leadership, and effective participation in the economy,” she stressed.
For TotalEnergies, large-scale projects represent an opportunity to develop national skills, strengthen the capacity of Mozambican companies, and increase the participation of local suppliers.
Barriers to women’s access to education, finance, technology, and economic opportunity nevertheless persist.
For Shemane, such initiatives demonstrate that their impact cannot be measured solely by the number of participants or the quality of debates held. “The true success of initiatives like this is not measured only by the number of participants or the quality of debates. It is measured by the capacity to inspire, to leave a mark, and to continue resonating well beyond this room,” she said.
Closing her remarks, TotalEnergies reaffirmed its commitment to continuing to support training, diversity, and economic inclusion initiatives, maintaining that women must have the conditions not only to participate, but also to compete, lead, and prosper. “If we want a stronger, more competitive, and more inclusive economy, we need to ensure that women not only participate, but that they have all the conditions to learn, compete, lead, and prosper,” she concluded.
The 4th edition of the Women in the Economy Conference is taking place in Maputo, bringing together representatives from government, the private sector, academia, civil society, and institutions linked to energy, technology, and development.
The programme includes panels on the role of women in the economy, featuring Emília Nhalevilo, rector of Púnguè University; Elma dos Santos, reservoir engineering specialist; Djamila Carvalho, international development and resource mobilisation specialist; Rudêncio Morais, chairman of the board of ENH; Edna Simbine, local content manager at TotalEnergies; and Shelzia Mucavele, CEO of Rovuma Tech, Lda.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/05/oilgas/totalenergies-defende-formacao-de-mulheres-para-reforcar-o-conteudo-local/
