In Spain, the industry has less than 25% female employment, according to Social Security data for 2022. In addition, women earn 18% less than men and have little presence in management positions, being relegated to administrative positions. .
These are just some of the data released this Tuesday by Blanca Sorigué, general director of the Free Trade Zone Consortium (CZFB), during the first day of the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week (BWAW), the congress on equality promoted by the CZFB that is being held until this Thursday at the DFactory building. In new technologies the outlook is not exactly more promising. Female participation in information technologies is around 20% and women represent 22% of professionals dedicated to artificial intelligence, Sorigué said.
At the BWAW, which has now reached its fourth edition, solutions are sought by giving voice, mainly, to female experts. “It is very important to raise awareness in schools. Make girls understand that scientific and technological professions are also for them,” said Seat production development manager, Mireia Bonilla. “We have to enter the classrooms, but also the factories,” added the General Director of Industry of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Oriol Alcoba. “There is still the view that they are dirty and physically demanding activities,” he argued.
For the vice president of Kion, Paulina Juárez, it is important to “give visibility to the women leaders in the sector, of which there are still few of us,” thus creating female references in traditionally masculinized fields. “There are green shoots,” claimed Volkswagen IT executive Anna Sánchez. “In Germany they are worse,” she added in reference to the low representation of women in technological careers.
They were the protagonists of one of the four debates on the first day. Until Thursday, a total of 14 sessions will take place and 67 speakers will attend the DFactory covering topics such as the gender perspective in audiovisual production, parity policies from large corporations or the internationalization of female talent, among others.
“We have many challenges, which is why initiatives like this are very important,” said the second deputy mayor of Barcelona City Council, Maria Eugènia Gay, during the inauguration. “We advocate collaboration, transparency and activism to close the gap,” said the special delegate of the State to the CZFB, Pere Navarro.
