women the vital force, soverato, italy 15.6.2014
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Women – the Vital Force!
DISTRETTO SUD-OVESTConvegno distrettuale
Soverato 15.6.2014Tuulikki Juusela, BPW International President
1985-89
Some historical remarks
Beijing Platform for Action adopted by all189 countries at the UN Fourth World Conference on
Women in 1995 and the Millennium Declarationadopted by 189 countries in 2000, contribute to the
overarching human rights framework
”We all, men and women, need to ask ourselveswhat we can do for the women who bear the
greatest responsibility for the world, and for thefuture,” Helvi Sipilä urged women in Beijing
So True!
“We are smart, we are hard working and we know we are doing good work, but we still find all sorts of reasons
for questioning whether we deserve more than we already have. Women hope the world will figure out
how brilliant they are through their work, when in truth, it is their job to get the word out."
”Even the most talented woman has a thousandtimes more obstacles and difficulties in her path
than her male colleagues”- statement byFamous Minna Canth from the 1880s
Nordic countries
By having a strategic focus on supporting workingparents and dual income families, these countries
have the smallest gender gaps in terms of economic empowerment and political
participation (World Economic Forum)and boast some of the highest birth rates in Europe
as well as some of the most stable economies
Nordic strategy - comprehensive school system
In 1921 universal compulsory education in Finland93 % of Finns graduate from high school
The difference between weakest and strongest students is the smallest in the world
43 % of high school students go to vocational schoolThe school system is 100% state funded
Finland has same amount of teachers as New York city! All teachers has to have a masters degree
Finland publishes more children's books than any other country
Is Finland one of the very best places in which a woman could live ?
The first in Europe to gain the franchise 1972 the Council for Equality to advise lawmakers on methods for
realizing full legal equality for women1983 Legislation: both parents were to have equal rights for custody
of their children, parental leave1987 Legislation: forbidding any discrimination on the basis of sex
and providing protection against it 1995 Legislation: gender-based discrimination on the labour
market prohibited 1999 the principles of equality mainsteraming incorporated into the
national employment programmes
The Finnish strategy, 4 components
Research and studies: ‘Female Leadership and Firm Profitability’ by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA35 demonstrated that firms led by
women are more profitable (10-20%) than those led by men. Corporate governance code: in2008 updated code 36 includes the
recommendation that ‘…both genders shall be represented on the board’. The code is applicable to large listed companies.
Quick governmental action: government has set the right example by putting forward a target of appointing at least 40% women on boards of state-owned
companies and achieving it quickly. Active role of the media: the Finnish media have actively published both
positive stories of companies that made a difference and bad examples of companies with all-male boards. This has put pressure on companies to
make the necessary changes and avoid negative publicity.
Women`s Enterprise Agency
Courses on entrepreneurshipStart-Up counselling
Info sessionsShort notes and sessions
Networking eventsBusiness mentoring
State funding
EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment means that people -both women and men – can take controlover their lives: set their own agendas,
gain skills (or have their own skillsand knowledge recognized), increaseself-confidence, solve problems, and
develop self-reliance. It is both a processand an outcome.
6.3. 2014 marked 4 years since the launch of the WEP
Why get businessworld involved
Gender diversity helps business performbetter signals that self interest and common
interest can come togetherThrough ”gender lens” business can survey
and analyze current practices, benchmarks and
reporting practices
Equality can be a plus
the skills, knowledge and experience of both genders diversifies practices, makes product and service development more creative, and brings greater sensitivity to the anticipation
of customer needs - better results
Building a diverse workforce
What is the representation of women at the bottom,middle, and top levels of your organization?
What is the gender mix of your senior leadership?What leadership roles do women occupy relative
to men?What is the gender mix in your slate for senior
roles?Is there a certain stage of career advancementthat women seem to be “getting stuck” and not
moving into leadership? Why?
Women at top level
The companies where womenare most strongly represented at board
or topmanagement level are also the companies that perform best
sufficient participation of women
Goal setting is a must
SpecificMeasurableChallenging
RealisticTime-limited
Action-orientedGetting heard
Looking and acting the partFocusing on the big picture
Gender diversity and business outcome
In Europe, of 89 publicly traded companieswith a market capitalization of over
150 million pounds, those with morewomen in senior management and onthe board had, on average, more than
10 percent higher return on equity thanthose companies with the least percentage
of women in leadership.
SMEs in Europe
are the main engine of growth and employment and they harbour enormous potential for job creation.
There are 23 million SMEs in Europe, accounting formore than 75 million jobs and over 80% of employment in
certain sectors, such as textiles,construction and furniture.
“Generation Y”
will move not only among jobs, but also among careers through their working lives, reinventing
themselves many times over; for them, technology is not a tool but a part of what
they are (as shown by their use of social networking and web 2.0 technologies);
they want challenges and development opportunities from work, but also choice and flexibility in order
to accommodate their personal lives; they value employers who demonstrate a
responsible approach to society and to environment.
Womenomics
Refers to women as one of main engines of growth.
Many economists say that women are one of the three emerging forces shaping the 21st
century. The three “Ws”:
Weather, Women and the Web
Networking is a prime component
In the future, information is power
The larger your Network, the better your chance of finding out exactly what you need to know
Knowing whom to call is almost as good as knowing!
Networkers can accumulate influence or power by control of information and, of course, by learning
Women - Mentoring
it has been said that women in mentoring relationships have greater job satisfaction than women whitout mentors
a mentor can significantly accelerate a woman’s professional development compared to that of women whitout mentors
mentors are important in introducing women to the organization’s power structure, formal and informal.
women may face different problems to men in mentoring relationships
To become successful Executive
Network-seize every opportunityBe visible-develop contacts and resources
Develop your skills- skills inventory, specialization, new skills
Have a plan- re-evaluate alsoKeep up with the times-trends in the economy and
in your industryGo online-power of Internet, access to knowledge
Do your homework-identify companies with policies for women
To become successful Executive
Learn the corporate culture -fundamentals,ask questions
Keep your eyes open-watch, listen, learn Attend to the home front-support, balancing work
and family Collect experience-even lateral moves
Get a mentor-female or maleBe personable- peers can influence a career
Keep your eyes on your goal-stay focused, admit to the mistake, move on
Future - feminine!
“We must have the courageto look far into the future”
Helle Kannila, Finland
“The future belongs to those of us, female ormale, who can adopt and embrace the
feminine archetype.”John Hagel III,
cofounder Deloitte Centerfor the Edge, Deloitte United States
An empowered woman has
Notions of self-worth and dignity (individual).Bodily integrity; freedom from coercive forces over a woman’s
very body (individual and structure).Control and influence over household and public resources
(structure and relations).Experience with or appreciation of the value of collective
effort and solidarity among women (relations)
THANK YOU