Monday, January 24, 2011

Women serve in Davos

Just as the lady of the Italian Marcegaglia ends on the front pages of newspapers for the actions of the executive slapped in the face of crisis ("six months now the government's action is not enough," he told What time ago), the largest meeting of world business-elite announces a turn "pink" at the World Economic Forum in Davos (in starting in two days) all the partner companies will have to submit at least one woman every five delegates.


"The low participation of women reflects the external data of the business world," says the creator of the plan Saadia Zahidi, head of the program as well as gender equality of the WEF. In fact, last year has touched an unexpected 17% of female participation in the forum, but in previous years, the share ranged between 9 and sadly 15%.

And this in fact reflects a optimistic data on the WEF leadership rose in the business world: less than 3% of the 500 largest companies in the world is driven by women. "To reduce this gap has been an important theme for the World Economic Forum over the last decade," continues Saadia Zahidi.

The meeting will also be presented a side project of the Swiss foundation Gender Equality Project, which aims to launch an international certification for business fair on gender equality, tests on five areas: fair wages, hiring and promotion policies, training, corporate culture and work-life balance of employees.

Companies subject to the quota are about 100 (what are called "strategic partner", in fact, including giants such as Google, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and Coca Cola), and then sent 500 of them, at least one woman will be the fifth year. The ladies in Switzerland will arrive in good company with the (few) historical ladies of the World Economic Forum, as the Indian Indra Nooyi (Chairman of Pepsi) and Chanda Kochhar (Director General of ICICI Bank and co-chairman of the WEF), the powerful expert Abby Joseph Cohen of investments (Goldman Sachs) or the president of the chemical giant DuPont Ellen Kullman.

If the hope is to raise female leader for the next generation, some are not convinced that this is a solution. Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell and Harvard professor (and former patrons of the forum in Davos) has ruled on Bloomberg that "the main obstacle to progress is the World Economic Forum.

If you insist on inviting only CEOs and people at the top, will support the same pattern as always. This year will give more women a chair, but if they were serious they would be asked "Who are the most interesting entrepreneurs who want to invite?" Do not confuse it with something seriously WEF able to change the global agenda.

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