Arcadis India’s SHINE Wins Best Gender Diversity & Inclusion Program at FlyHigh Women Awards

Arcadis India’s SHINE initiative has been named winner of the Best Corporate Award for Gender Diversity & Inclusion Program at the FlyHigh Women Awards, held at ITM Skills University. The award recognizes SHINE (Supporting, Honoring, Inspiring and Networking for Equality), Arcadis India’s flagship gender equity programme built to attract, develop and retain diverse talent through targeted interventions across recruitment, allyship, mentoring, STEM outreach and retention.

SHINE was established to address gender balance through a structured, sustainable and business led approach. Recognising that meaningful change requires action across the entire employee lifecycle, the programme was built around five executive-sponsored workstreams: Recruitment, Lean in Circles, Allyship, STEM Outreach and Retention. Together, these workstreams bring leaders, allies and employees under a shared vision, driving sustainable cultural change, strengthening female representation across the talent lifecycle, and enabling equitable opportunities for growth, development and leadership.

Through Lean in Circles, SHINE has created a supportive network that enables women across the organisation to connect, learn, mentor and grow. The Allyship workstream has engaged employees of all genders in fostering inclusive behaviours, raising awareness and building accountability for gender equality. Recruitment initiatives have focused on strengthening diverse talent pipelines through targeted hiring strategies, partnerships and early career programmes for graduates and interns. The STEM Programme extends Arcadis’ impact beyond the organisation by inspiring future talent and creating pathways for women to explore STEM careers, while the Retention workstream focuses on creating an environment where female employees can thrive through talent development, flexible working practices, returner support and inclusive people policies.

What makes SHINE unique is its leadership commitment and holistic approach. Rather than treating diversity as a standalone initiative, SHINE embeds inclusion into how talent is attracted, developed and retained. The programme has built strong internal engagement, increased visibility of gender equity conversations, strengthened employee support networks and created a foundation for long term organisational change, demonstrating how gender equity can become a strategic enabler of talent attraction, employee engagement and sustainable growth.

Key highlights of the SHINE programme:

• Established 5 Executive Sponsored Workstreams covering the full employee lifecycle
• Created a structured Lean in Circles mentoring and networking framework for women employees
• Launched a Gender Agnostic Allyship Network to drive inclusive behaviours and awareness
• Implemented diversity focused recruitment initiatives, including senior level talent attraction and graduate and intern pathways
• Established a STEM Ambassador Network to inspire and engage future female talent
• Introduced targeted retention and talent development initiatives focused on female career progression, flexibility and returner support
• Increased leadership visibility and accountability for gender balance and inclusion through executive sponsorship and governance

The FlyHigh Women Awards celebrate organisations and individuals driving meaningful change for women across industries, and SheSight is proud to spotlight winners like Arcadis whose work embodies the kind of systemic, business led progress the community champions.