Betting on parity is fairer and also more profitable for companies

Despite the undoubted advances that have been achieved in recent decades in women's rights, there is still a long way to go in multiple areas, including labor.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
16 February 2023 Thursday 22:29
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Betting on parity is fairer and also more profitable for companies

Despite the undoubted advances that have been achieved in recent decades in women's rights, there is still a long way to go in multiple areas, including labor. Parity in the workforce will not be achieved for another 140 years if the situation does not improve substantially, as stated by UN Women, an organization focused on protecting women's human rights.

Fighting for gender equality, which constitutes Goal number 5 of the 17 SDGs established by the United Nations, is one of the top priorities for the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona (CZFB).

To this end, and with the aim of facing the important challenges that must be faced to achieve this goal, the entity that promotes the economic revitalization of the Barcelona metropolitan area created BWAW (Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week) three years ago. This hybrid event, created to reflect on how to accelerate the visibility of women in key sectors of the economy, including industry and logistics, has already become an essential event.

The third edition of the event, which CZFB organizes together with the Incyde Foundation of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce, will be held on March 9 and 10. Once again, the facilities of the innovative DFactory building, located in the Zona Franca of Barcelona, ​​will bring together a panel of more than 50 national and international speakers, both women and men, who will discuss the current scenario, challenges and solutions to give a qualitative leap towards gender equality in business and industry.

For two days, different fundamental topics will be discussed to advance on the path of equality, such as: cases of women entrepreneurs; implementation of technology 4.0; vision of directives in financial entities, women in STEM professions (science, technology, engineering and mathematics); initiatives developed in the private sector to promote gender equality; vision of directives in the public sector; o Vocational Training and professional opportunities that are most in demand.

The event, which will have ten debate sessions and more than 2,500 attendees, will place special emphasis on inequality in the industrial field. Solutions will be discussed regarding the fact that certain sectors that have historically been associated with men and that there are stereotypes that continue to condition the new generations.

Thus, for example, according to a study carried out by CrowdStrike, of women between the ages of 16 and 18, only 25% consider pursuing a career in engineering compared to 52% of boys, worldwide.

Betting on parity, moreover, should not be a moral obligation for companies, but it is profitable for them. In this sense, as stated by Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB, "multiple data show that those companies that encourage equal opportunities between men and women increase their profits more than those that do not, therefore from the business world -and in line with the sustainability objectives- it must be committed in a determined way for parity”.

For his part, Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State in the CZFB, highlights that "from the CZFB, within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, we want to act as a catalyst so that gender equality becomes a reality in the business field, looking for solutions to achieve a greater female presence, especially in those traditionally masculinized sectors. In the era of the new economy, parity is imperative because it adds value to organizations, fosters greater diversity, and contributes to global growth."

Along these lines, to promote gender equality, in 2020 the CZFB created the Free Zone Women's Council, to value the vision of prominent female managers whose companies are located in the Barcelona Free Zone industrial estate .

In order to register for the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week, you must access the website, where all the information on this essential event for the empowerment of women is available.