From STEM education to leadership, creating connected pathways for women to learn, grow and lead.

When conversations around gender inclusion begin, they often start at the point of hiring. But by then, many of the barriers women face have already taken shape.

The reality is that the journey does not begin with a job offer. It begins much earlier. It begins when a young girl decides whether science is “for someone like her.” It continues through access to education, role models, networks, confidence, opportunities and, later, the support systems that determine whether a career can be sustained and grown.

At Amadeus, our philosophy is simple: if we want to see more women in technology leadership, we cannot focus on a single moment in the talent lifecycle. We need to support women across the entire journey. From inspiring girls to pursue STEM education, to creating pathways into engineering careers, enabling women to return to work, accelerating leadership readiness, and ensuring equitable access to development opportunities, every intervention is a link in the same chain.

This is why our efforts extend beyond programmes and policies. We aim to build an ecosystem where women have access not only to opportunities, but also to the networks, visibility, mentorship, sponsorship and support that help careers flourish over the long term.

What makes this work meaningful is that it is not owned by a single function. While People & Culture champions flagship initiatives such as Anokhee and UDAAN, our business leaders, employee communities and teams across the organisation play an active role in driving change. Together, they help create an environment where women can see themselves in technology, build careers in the industry and grow into leadership roles.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Building gender diversity in technology starts long before recruitment. It starts with exposure, encouragement and access.

Through our Girls in STEM initiatives, Amadeus supports girls and young women across multiple stages of their educational journey. From STEM and robotics programmes for children aged 11 to 13, to scholarships, fellowships and mentorship opportunities for women pursuing higher education, these initiatives are designed to create pathways into technology careers.

The effort also reaches communities where access to technology education can be limited. STEM infrastructure has been provided to schools in remote regions such as Ladakh, while digital capacity-building programmes equip young people to become mentors themselves, extending the reach of technology education to others.

Collectively, these programmes have supported more than 5,600 girls and women, creating opportunities to learn, explore and build confidence in STEM disciplines.

Building the Future Talent Pipeline

Creating a sustainable pipeline of women engineers requires more than academic education. It requires industry exposure, practical learning and confidence-building opportunities.

Anokhee was created with this ambition in mind. The two-year programme works with women engineering students through a combination of technical training, behavioural development and project-based learning. By helping students bridge the gap between education and industry expectations, the programme seeks to improve employability while encouraging more women to pursue long-term careers in technology.

To date, more than 140 students across two cohorts have benefited from the programme, strengthening the pipeline of future women engineers.

Creating Pathways Back to Work

For many women, career progression is rarely linear. Life stages, family responsibilities and personal circumstances can sometimes result in career breaks that make returning to the workforce challenging.

UDAAN addresses this reality by supporting experienced women professionals who are looking to restart their careers. By creating structured pathways back into the workforce, the programme enables women to reconnect with professional opportunities while allowing the organisation to benefit from their experience, expertise and diverse perspectives.

In 2025 alone, UDAAN helped 18 women successfully return to work.

Investing in Growth and Leadership

Representation is important. Progression is equally important.

As women advance in their careers, access to mentors, sponsors, leadership exposure and professional networks often plays a critical role in unlocking the next stage of growth. Programmes such as WeRise and Women in Tech Mentoring help create these opportunities by connecting women with experienced leaders, development pathways and communities that support their ambitions.

Over the last two cohorts, the Women in Tech Mentoring programme has supported 42 women through structured mentoring and development.

Equally important is visibility. Through initiatives such as the Speaker Training Programme, women are equipped with the skills and confidence to share their expertise, amplify their voices and increase their influence both within Amadeus and in external industry forums.

Creating Connection, Community and Belonging

Career growth is not driven solely by capability. It is also shaped by community.

The Amadeus Women’s Network (AWN) serves as a platform where women can connect, learn from one another and build meaningful professional relationships across the organisation. Through mentoring, leadership conversations, awareness campaigns and networking initiatives, AWN helps create a stronger sense of belonging while amplifying women’s voices across the company.

Alongside AWN, several business-led communities including SHEroes, InspireHER and HERizon create additional opportunities for women to engage with senior leaders, expand professional networks, access mentoring and explore development opportunities tailored to their unique contexts and career aspirations.

Strengthening the Leadership Pipeline

Leadership representation cannot be left to chance.

Through initiatives such as Leadership Forums, Women Leader Connects, Speed Mentoring and Competency Chronicles, women gain opportunities to learn directly from senior leaders, build leadership capabilities and increase visibility across the organisation.

These programmes are designed not simply to support today’s leaders, but to strengthen the pipeline of future leaders by helping women build the confidence, skills and networks required for long-term career progression.

Embedding Equity into the System

Programmes alone cannot create lasting change if the underlying processes remain unchanged.

That is why inclusion at Amadeus is embedded into talent and development practices across the organisation. Gender representation is actively considered across leadership development programmes, promotions, compensation reviews and talent discussions.

Representation is also reviewed during succession planning and leadership pipeline conversations, with People and Talent teams working closely with business leaders to ensure equitable access to opportunities and development.

As a result, women represented 33% of participants across leadership development programmes for managers and above during 2025-2026.

Supporting Women Across Different Life Stages

A truly inclusive workplace acknowledges that employees navigate different life experiences throughout their careers.

Comprehensive wellbeing programmes, maternity support, counselling resources and Employee Assistance Programmes are designed to help women build sustainable careers while balancing personal and professional priorities. These support systems recognise that career success is not only about growth opportunities, but also about creating an environment where people can thrive over the long term.

The Bigger Picture

No single programme creates inclusion.

Real progress happens when opportunities, development, support systems, policies, leadership commitment and community come together in a connected ecosystem. The goal is not simply to attract more women into technology. It is to ensure they have every opportunity to learn, grow, lead and thrive throughout their careers.

Because when inclusion is approached as a lifecycle rather than an intervention, the impact extends far beyond representation metrics. It creates stronger teams, richer perspectives, more innovative outcomes and a future where talent, not circumstance, determines opportunity.