The Amazon Raid is the only sporting raid exclusive to women. In its seventh year, it is taking place on the island of Réunion. 75 teams, each comprising three women, will spend six days competing in numerous tests of physical endurance : trekking on Piton de la Fournaise (33km), mountain biking (30km), ride & run, archery, swimming, aqua-hiking, canyoning, fitness trail and orienteering.

Two SYSTRA employees, Sandrine Dugas (HR manager, SYSTRA Paris) and Lydie Raspolini, (management assistant, SYSTRA Paris), along with Nathalie Leger, an underground train driver (RATP, SYSTRA shareholder with the SNCF), have decided to form a team to compete in the raid.

SYSTRA has agreed to support this team for three main reasons :

• participation in the Amazon Raid fits in with SYSTRA’s corporate spirit : a voluntary, bold, team project, meeting the expectations of SYSTRA for its staff, who are often required to travel abroad and tackle “adventurous” situations ;
• SYSTRA is committed to promoting gender equality. This sporting project, which requires careful, lengthy preparation, proves it is possible to combine personal lives with professional responsibilities ; and
• for several years, SYSTRA has been working on the Réunion tram-train project, which aims to provide an effective response to the daily travel needs of the local population, to stop paralysis of the road network and to limit pollution. The Amazon Raid, which bans any form of motorised transport, also respects the values of SYSTRA – a major player in the sustainable transport sector.

SYSTRA, stakeholder in the Réunion tram-train

From late 2005 to early 2007, SYSTRA was a member of the group of general contractors for the tram-train serving the north west of Réunion. SYSTRA then won the contract to provide help to the technical contractor for the Réunion region and assist in the selection of a private partner. This process will continue until autumn 2009, involving the analysis of applications, signature of the partnership contract and organisation of competitive dialogue. The Réunion tram-train should be inaugurated towards the end of 2013.

SYSTRA has been leading research into tram-trains in France since 1995. The concept, which consists of driving a single light tram-like vehicle in city centres and on rail tracks outside built-up areas, lies at the crossroads of our dual capacity for urban transport and rail travel.

SYSTRA, committed to gender equality

SYSTRA has adopted a voluntary policy to iron out gender inequalities within the workplace. This commitment has notably resulted in :

• signature of the Diversity Charter on 1 March 2007, with 25 other companies belonging to the SNCF group, which in total, represent over 40,000 employees. This voluntary approach is part of the Equality of Opportunity and Promotion of Diversity programme introduced by the SNCF group for recruitment and training. Through this agreement, SYSTRA trains and raises awareness among its executives and employees involved in recruitment, training and career management, to prevent discrimination and ensure respect for and promotion of the principle of equality in all its forms and at all stages of the HR management process, such as hiring, training and promotion ;
• as an engineering company, SYSTRA also endeavours to promote technical occupations to young women through the Elles Bougent association (www.ellesbougent.com) ;
• the female workforce at SYSTRA has risen by more than 10% since 2005 and now stands at 29% of the total headcount.

Portraits of three employees who know how to combine professional responsibilities with family life and sporting activities

All three share a passion for a variety of sports, not born from competitiveness, but from the pleasure of sport itself and to experiment with each discipline. Regular athletes, they have been preparing for this raid for over a year and have been training intensively (almost daily) since August. Multi-talented, they have decided that each one should be at the same level of preparation for all the events.

• Sandrine Dugas (34), HR manager at SYSTRA, has devoted all her energy to this project, about which she has been thinking for seven years. A lover of swimming, qualified as a children’s lifeguard, she practices all sports from cycling and golf to overseas trekking, discovering countries like Vietnam from north to south.
• Lydie Raspolini (42), management assistant at SYSTRA, is particularly keen on running and has enjoyed success in numerous cross-country, marathon and triathlon competitions. She practices many other sports too, often with her family : dancing (North African, salsa), walking, horse riding and swimming.
• Nathalie Leger (45), underground train driver (RATP, SYSTRA shareholder with the SNCF) cycles 40km to work every day. She practices judo, tennis, football, mountain biking, swimming and running. She has completed numerous raids and treks around the world, with her family or alone, as well as a completely individual kayak raid in Oman.

Raid Amazones Support SYSTRA TEAM (#10) Réunion tram-train project