‘Promociona women’ create the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors
With the boost of Promociona project, co-financed by the EEA Grants, the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors has been created aiming at continuing the promotion of women to Steering Committees and Boards.
20.10.2015
They are more than a hundred women with something in common: all of them have participated in Promociona project, an initiative fostered by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality and co-financed by the EEA Grants aiming at encouraging a higher number of women executives on Steering Committees and Boards of Directors. But they know there is still a lot to be done, and they intend to continue showcasing female talent. For that reason, they have created the Spanish Association of Executives and Directors.
“Executives and Directors” intends to work to be a forcing agent for change creating a social awareness in which a person's ability and merit take precedence when it comes to awarding promotions to top positions, promoting diversity, competitiveness, good governance and sustainability of companies and institutions. Additionally, the association aims at becoming an international reference.
Although the association “is a girl”, in the words of the president, Nerea Torres, “our intention is adding male partners who share our philosophy and objectives”.
In the launching event, Spanish Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality, Alfonso Alonso, supported the initiative because “it is crucial to combat the gap between women presence in various social environments and their presence on Boards of Directors”.
The Minister expressed his satisfaction in the fact that the number of women on Ibex 35 companies management boards have increased from 12% in 2011 to 18% and he reminded that the objective is 30% for 2020.
Promociona project, coordinated by the Spanish Confederation of Employer’s Organizations (CEOE) is currently in its third edition and achieving its goals: 22 women participants out of 185 have already been promoted in their companies. The project includes training in the prestigious ESADE business school, coaching, mentoring and networking. It is one of the projects within the Gender Equality Programme, operated by the Women’s Institute and for Equal Opportunities and funded with 10 million euros from the EEA Grants.