European Project Promoting Women’s leadership
In 2013-2014 CEC completed a project on the demographic situation regarding the managerial workforce of Europe, thereby dealing with an issue which has been at the top of the European agenda for some years. One of the most important conclusions of the project was that several regions in Europe will face a lack of managers within the next decades, unless something is done to widen the perception of who is fit to lead. The most obvious solution would be to make it possible for the well-educated women of Europe to work as managers and to advance to top positions.
In order to pursue this topic CEC decided in late 2013 to apply for support for a new project with the title “Promoting Women´s Leadership – Strategies and Best Practices to increase the share of Women in Middle and Higher Management Positions”. The ambition to work for a gender equal society is shared by all of the social partners and we were proud to welcome as project partners not only two national members of CEC, CFE-CGC from France and Ledarna from Sweden, but also Eurocadres, one of the other six social partners on European level. The project is also supported by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. The project, which started with a kickoff meeting in Madrid in October 2013, included a series of activities. Two studies have been commissioned, one dealing with the social structures on a national level in six European countries, the other with business strategies to support women managers in different companies. The general idea behind this approach is that social reforms and company initiatives will have to go hand in hand to make any real change possible.
In late June more than 100 participants gathered in Cannes for a two days conference, with the purpose to learn and discuss more about this topic, which is a cornerstone in the pathway to a better and stronger Europe.
