Spain, 8 de marzo de 2015.- At FEDEPE, March 8 is an important date. This day symbolizes the strength of the union of women who throughout history have been achieving equality in their rights, but it is also a day that enables us to put on the table all the points in which gender imbalance remains clear to see. It is, therefore, a day of celebration, of assertion and also of analysis of the situation of women in the social, legal and professional sphere.
On this day, at FEDEPE there are many people and things we do not forget: the women killed as a result of gender violence, in Spain and across the world – femicide; the women who have been excluded from the labor market or condemned to job insecurity; the sexism present in every facet of life; sexual violence; the girls in developing countries who have no access to education; and all those women who in any way suffer societal discrimination and the violation of their most basic rights.
In recent years, at our Federation we have noted a process of constant empowerment of women in Spain, in the face of economic adversity. Women have decided to take charge of their professional future in view of the hostile environment which put the brakes on their career
aspirations or their opportunity to enjoy a full personal life.
Thus, we observe a form of leadership through entrepreneurship and self-employment. As women, we are demonstrating confidence in ourselves with the implementation of innovative projects which look to the future. It is now necessary, therefore, for companies, institutions and financing channels to ratify this confidence in women. Confidence that, at FEDEPE, we hope to see expressed through appointments of women to positions of high responsibility and management, better access to financing and awarding of contracts or placing women as leaders on the frontline of the visible work of civil society.
Female leadership is a strategic issue to achieve profitability, business growth and sustainability. Moreover, we are convinced that it is a transformative instrument that, as well as paving the way for progress in the current culture of work, is a tool for redistributing the wealth of a country.
Therefore, at FEDEPE we wish to send a message of optimism to society: as women, we are prepared to continue to take forward steps in the face of adversity and we want to lead processes of social and corporate transformation with the aim of building a professional environment in keeping with the value of women and the real need for joint responsibility among individuals. A professional environment in which responsibilities, decisions and executive capacity are evenly distributed between men and women.
