WOMEN´S FORUM AMERICAS raising the voice against women´s inequalities, violence, and under-representation.
From May 30 to May 31 was carried out in Mexico City the Women’s Forum Americas at Universidad El Claustro de Sor Juana. The event was focused on uniting voices to break the silence, using three pathways to further explore this theme across and within sessions:
- Amplifying women´s voices to shape the future
- Driving sustainable behaviors for sustainable growth
- Forging collaborations for good.
Across the world, women´s leadership and full participation in economies and societies is critical to driving a sustainable future. Women´s Forum Americas 2019 gathered over 1500 delegates including +20% of men from +50 countries gathered in Mexico City at this first-ever continental meeting dedicated to bringing women's ambition, voices, and vision to the forefront. There were more than 100 speakers who shared their insights during the course of the 2 days. Leaders from business, government, global institutions and NGO´s convened to discuss how to unlock the potential of the Americas' diversity and shape a future founded on sustainable and inclusive growth.
The speakers were of the highest level as Maria Teresa Arnal, Managing Director Google Mexico; Daniel Bandle, CEO Mexico AXA; Jean Baptiste Baudin de la Valette, Regional Director USA and Caribbean Bouygues Construction; Peter Burman, President EF Education First; Arancha González Executive Director International Trade Centre; Francisco Hernandez, CEO Mexico BNP Paribas; Si-Yeon Kim, Chief Risk, and Compliance Officer and Executive Chair of American Express Global Business Travel; Carlos Mackinlay Secretary of Tourism Government of Mexico City; Christine Lagarde, Managing director IMF; Eva LongoriaActor, Director, Producer, and Activist; Luisa María Alcalde Luján, Secretary of Labor, Government of Mexico; Gabriela Ramos, Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20; Ana María Salazar Journalist- Analyst; Marlène Schiappa, Minister of State for Gender Equality and the Fight against Discrimination; Javier San Juan, President and General Manager L’Oréal Latin America; Elizabeth A. Vazquez, President, CEO, and Co-Founder, WEConnect International; Kelli Wright, Executive, Special Projects Lubricants Technology ExxonMobil.
The first day of the forum, the most expected conference was OPEN HEARTS TO CLOSE DIVIDES: SOLIDARITY FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY by Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF, and Chiara Corazza, CEO, Women´s Forum for the Economy and Society.
Mrs. Lagarde mentioned that if the companies hire women the productivity increases and at the same time reduce inequality. Also, she told that governments must spend more money on education and health for women and resolve the financial inequality, the countries must think what´s wrong? like in the case of India where women don't go to work for the insecurity in public transportation.
Women employed, have easy and repeated jobs, it is important to eliminate massive transformation jobs for others who add value as the ones in technology and sciences to have equality.
The compromise of policymakers is required to change at this point she asks more representation of women to make laws, it is a fact that more than 75% of parliamentarians are men,10 and men are far more likely to think that gender equality concerns already receive too much attention in policymaking. Christine suggested drastic measurements as QUOTAS, she demanded " We must have quotas", more places available for women.
About education, she told that we need to prepare young girls at school for sciences, math, physics, economy. She also warned about climate change, it is a threat, a financial stability risk.
Finally, The Managing Director of IMF encouraged us: how can we use our leadership/power to make changes?'
About the corporate world, there was a panel called " Women pioneering leadership", what´s next?
The panelists were: Maria Teresa Arnal, Managing Director, Google Mexico, Ana Paula Assis, General Manager Latin America, IBM. Monica Flores, President Latin America, ManpowerGroup, Claudia Herreramoro, Director, Communications Latin America, P & G.
Maria commented that Google has programs to develop women, especially, they recruit, include and promote them. Ana mentioned that companies need a culture change because most of them don't see the value of gender equality. Monica invited men to listen to women´s reality and demanded women, be more aggressive in the media and the public sector, make more good activism because most of the companies are managed by men. Claudia was excited to share P & G has campaigns to change stereotypes as toxic masculinity, they have paternity leave, etc. She encouraged women to ask for what they need, don´t be afraid. The reflections of the panel were:
ü We (WOMEN) are not skilling ourselves for the next era, the digital era.
ü Companies must commit to diversity not only in gender equality to make an inclusion work environment.
ü Change mindset is very difficult but it is necessary to face global competition, we should change the way we do business.
ü Quotas are necessary, it is not just filling a vacancy if you have a good process of recruiting and being critical all the time, it is to have a systematic approach.
Another great panel was: Power of us, uniting voices for a better world, it was told: our actions have an impact in the society, education enters the head and nobody can take it away from you. The most important phenomenon is the emergence of women in the labor force, as well as being a social reason, it is also economic. We need to speak aloud in front of men, sit down in the middle of the table, not in the corner, we women must mentor each other, we have to network with women who are up of us not only in our same level. The empowerment comes inside first inside, at home, mom, dad educating the kids, giving them love, values.
To be continued...
