National Focal Point Spain

Closing event Promociona Project 1st edition

The first 40 'Promociona Women'

 The first edition of the Promociona Project to encourage a higher number of women executives on Boards of Directors was closed in 22 January with excellent results: 6 out of 40 women participants have been promoted so far and a second edition with 70 participants is in progress.

26.01.2015

An International Labour Organization (ILO) report recently warned that achieving gender parity on companies could take between "100 and 200 years". In order to avoid this prophecy to come true there are initiatives like Promociona Project, within the EEA Grants, whose first edition was closed last 22 January.

40 female managers from the biggest companies in Spain (Renault, Iberdrola, Indra...) have received training, mentoring and coaching in order to improve their capacities. The objective: to encourage a higher number of women executives on Steering Committees and Boards of Directors. So far, 6 out of 40 women have been promoted, in line with the target. Besides, a second edition of the project is in progress with the participation of other 70 female top managers.

Promociona project (Promotion of women to decision-making positions) involves the Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality, the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations (CEOE), ESADE Business Schools and the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA Grants) co-financing the project.

“We need the best for the most demanding jobs, and there is overwhelming evidence of the economic benefits of more women on Boards”, said the State Secretary of the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yngvild Stub, in the closing event of the Promociona Project first edition. The State Secretary stressed the need for legal change but also work-life balance policies and, of utmost importance, a change in mentality among business class.

On the other hand, CEOE Secretary-General, José María Lacasa, highlighted the “high project visibility both internally and externally”. Carmen Plaza, Director-General of the Women’s Institute and for Equal Opportunities, encouraged the participants to “seek personal and professional excellence and to be ambitious for them and for the society”. Furthermore, Carmen Plaza announced that the Spanish government is working on an Employment Equality Plan that will include 100 measures to close the gender gap.

Promociona project is part of the Gender Equality and Work-Life Balance Programme promoted by the Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality through the Women’s Institute and for Equal Opportunities and co-funded by the EEA Grants. The aim is fostering gender equality and work-life balance and 71 projects are included.