The percentage of managerial women in Spanish companies remains at 27% for the second consecutive year, and it has only improved by 5 percentage points since 2011 (Grant Thornton, 2018). Just two out of ten men share 50% of the household chores (CIS social barometer, 2017). 55% of women are undergraduates, but only 12% take degrees in Information and Communications Technologies (Education at a Glance 2017, OECD). The details are overwhelming, thereby it is paramount that public and private institutions implement programmes relating to equality, balance of work and life and shared responsibility in order to reduce the gap between men and women.
At CaixaBank, there is a strong commitment towards these subjects, and it is promoting projects, actions and programmes that encourage equality in all spheres of society. In this vein and under the hashtag #Actuemos, the financial institution kicks off the Equality Week with a calendar of events aimed at encouraging a debate revolving around diversity and gender equality. From 3 to 9 March, a series of talks, activities, debates and round tables have been programmed on gender equality in the cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Valencia. These focus on spheres relating to shared family responsibilities, sports, business, entrepreneurship, technology and new generations.
#Actuemos will enjoy the presence of inspiring personalities that will give a voice to equality from their own experience, such as the architect Atxu Amann, the artist Yolanda Domínguez, the sociologist Amparo Tomé, the journalist Paloma del Rio and the bloggers Mónica de la Fuente and Joaquim Montaner. In the field of sport personalities like Toña Is (coach of the women's U-17s national team), Elisa Aguilar (former basketball player), Jennifer Pareja (former water polo player) and María Pujol (triathlete) will be present. David Tomas (Cyberclick), Laura Fernández (Allwomen.tech), Gemma AWWZ (Producer and DJ), Amleto Montinari (Fluttr) and Equal Saree will contribute with their point of view as young entrepreneurs. The business sector will be represented by Mónica Rucabado (Vizgar Shoes), Helena Torras (B-wom), Inés Juste (Juste Group), María Gómez del Pozuelo (Womenalia), Jaime Ozores (Odgers Berndtson) and Beatriz Sánchez (La tienda de Valentina), among others.
This initiative falls within the scope of CaixaBank's Wengage programme, which promotes gender equality and boosts the role of women in the company and in wider society The financial institution is working internally to fight against gender inequality, and it is encouraging that we all #Actuemos in this global commitment.
CALENDAR
SUNDAY, 3 MARCH
#PORUNMUNDO5050: THE FIRST CHARITY RACE FOR EQUALITY
The first race in which equality is the winner. Race distance of 5 km with 12 symbolic obstacles; open to women and men, both children and adults
Organisers: 50&50 Gender Leadership, Inspiring Girls Foundation, Universidad Europea de Madrid.
Start line: Universidad Europea de Madrid (C/ Tajo s/n, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid).
MONDAY, 4 MARCH
LIVING AND EDUCATING WITH EQUALITY
TALK
From 18:30 to 19:30 at Store CaixaBank Coliseu (Barcelona).
Participants: Amparo Tomé, Mónica de la Fuente, Joaquim Montaner and Atxu Amann.
SPORT WINS WHEN WE’RE EQUAL
ROUND TABLE
From 18:30 to 19:30 at Store CaixaBank Sierpes (Seville).
Participants: Jennifer Pareja, María Pujol Pérez and Elisa Aguilar.
TUESDAY, 5 MARCH
NEW GENERATIONS: EQUALITY AS A PROJECT
ROUND TABLE
From 19:00h to 20:00 at imaginCafé (Barcelona).
Participants: Laura Fernández, Gemma AWWZ, Equal Saree, David Tomas and Amleto Montinari.
WEDNESDAY, 6 MARCH
LIVING AND EDUCATING WITH EQUALITY
TALK
From 18:30 to 19:30 at Store CaixaBank Castellana (Madrid).
Participants: Amparo Tomé, Mónica de la Fuente, Joaquim Montaner and Yolanda Domínguez.
SPORT WINS WHEN WE’RE EQUAL
ROUND TABLE
From 18:30 to 19:30 at Store CaixaBank Valencia Gran Via de les Germanies (Valencia).
Participants: Paloma del Río, Jennifer Pareja, Elisa Aguilar and Toña Is.
THURSDAY, 7 MARCH
EQUALITY AS BUSINESS CULTURE
ROUND TABLE
From 12:30 to 13:30 at DayOne Madrid (Madrid).
Participants: Jaime Ozores, Helena Torras, Inés Juste, Mónica Rucabado and María Gómez del Pozuelo.
FRIDAY, 8 MARCH
EQUALITY AS BUSINESS CULTURE
ROUND TABLE
From 12:30 to 13:30 at DayOne Barcelona (Barcelona).
Participants: Victoria Hernández, Beatriz Sánchez, Mar Alarcón, Gina Tost, Mireia Torres and Camino Quiroga.
SATURDAY, 9 MARCH
I GLOBAL MENTORING WALK BARCELONA
During one morning, in a get-together all around the world, and for the first time in Barcelona, thousands of women will walk together promoting female mentoring with the aim of sharing leadership experiences, confidence and aspects of the labour market at the highest level. This walk has a single rallying point: equality.
Start line: CaixaBank (Avda. Diagonal, 621-629)
Finish line: CaixaForum (Avda Francesc Ferrer Guàrdia, 6-8)
The benefits of women in leadership positions
Companies with the most women on their management teams were 21% more likely to achieve above-average profitability, compared with those with relatively few women in senior, decision-making roles (McKinsey, 2018). Moreover, if diversity is extended to the cultural sphere, the probability is even higher (33%). The style of female leadership, which follows a more horizontal approach and includes characteristics such as empathy, sensitivity and consensus, is highly recommendable in the increasingly flat and interconnected organisations of today. 39.9% of women in CaixaBank are in managerial positions, which is one of the highest percentages in the sector.
Within this scope, CaixaBank is working on it via the Wengage programme, which includes internal actions aimed at encouraging flexibility and the balance of work and life, training or female mentoring plans, by means of which company executives advise other professionals on their career development.
Externally, CaixaBank's commitment towards diversity includes promoting debates and public conversation related to diversity (eWoman sessions); organising different awards and acknowledgements for business leadership (Businesswoman Award) and academic excellence (Wonnow Stem Awards); or lines of action linked to sport (sponsoring the women's national basketball team).
CaixaBank is adhered to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles; the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality's More women, better companies voluntary agreement to secure a greater percentage of women in executive positions; and the Diversity Charter, to promote equal opportunities and antidiscriminatory measures.
As a result of this commitment, CaixaBank has been presented with the EFR (Family Responsible Company) Certificate by the Masfamilia Foundation and has been worthy of various acknowledgements, such as the 25th anniversary award from the FEDEPE (Spanish Federation of Women Managers, Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs).
