OCP Group has obtained its first level of EDGE (Economic Dividends for Gender Equality) certification. It is a standard that assesses the performance of companies in achieving gender equality and creating equal career opportunities for women and men.
In a press release published on 03 March 2022, OCP Group announced that it had achieved the first level of EDGE certification. Called Assess, this distinction takes into account several criteria. These include gender balance in leadership roles, recruitment and production policies, pay equity and a culture of diversity within the company.
Last April, the group partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to assist it in the process of obtaining EDGE certification. It aims to achieve the next level of certification in 2024.
It should be noted that the group’s initiatives in favour of cohesion are not limited to employees, but go beyond. Its initiatives also extend to Africa with training, accompaniment, school support and medical campaigns. There is also participation in the empowerment and inclusion of women, particularly in the rural world. OCP is also supporting some of Morocco’s agricultural women through its Al Moutmir project. It supports young female students in Gambia, Madagascar and Senegal through its High School of Excellence. In addition, the group is helping through the startup acceleration programme developed by the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco.
Moreover, the OCP group, formerly called the Cherifian Office of Phosphates, was created on 7 August 1920. In 2008, it was transformed into a limited company and became OCP SA. It is the world’s largest exporter of raw phosphate, phosphoric acid and phosphate fertiliser. With more than 20,000 employees of various nationalities, it has a turnover of 9.4 billion dollars in 2021. OCP is one of the largest private sector employers in Morocco and is ahead of the curve on gender diversity, inclusion and equal career opportunities. Its employees are mainly located at four mining sites and two chemical complexes as well as at other international sites. It should be noted that the group has several subsidiaries inside and outside Morocco.