Gender equality constitutes Goal number 5 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, but there is still a long way to go to achieve the purposes established within the framework of the 2030 Agenda. In this sense, the Snapshot report UN Gender Agenda 2023 has highlighted that, of the 18 indicators of this SDG, none have yet achieved their goals. This slow progress in parity affects the success of the rest of the SDGs, since without achieving greater equality between men and women, achieving other global objectives will be more complicated.
For the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium (CZFB), contributing to achieving real parity in the business environment is a priority, therefore, between March 5 and 7, the DFactory Barcelona building will host the 4th edition of the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week (BWAW), the event created to highlight the role of women in the economy. An initiative that emerged in 2021, which has the collaboration of the Incyde Foundation of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce, which is consolidating itself as a platform to accelerate progress towards a more equal and inclusive economy.
This edition’s program will have 14 debate sessions in which more than 60 top-level speakers will participate, coming from sectors as diverse as industry 4.0, logistics, pharma, law, audiovisual or talent, who will address the latest trends in each field, with the focus on the gender perspective to once again turn the BWAW into an excellent speaker and platform for female leadership
On the path towards gender equality, one of the central aspects will be to promote the presence of women in university degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). A problem that hinders female representation in decisive areas for economic transformation in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. As reflected in the report “Equality in figures” from the Ministry of Education, in our country in university degrees, female students in Engineering, industry and construction constitute 29.5% of the students and in Computer Science the percentage falls to 14%. On the other hand, women make up 77.8% of students in education courses, and in the field of health and social services the percentage is above 72%.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that multiple studies show that gender parity in companies contributes to improving the economic results of organizations, favors innovation and creativity, and positively influences employee motivation.
The third edition of the PwC ClosingGap Index has highlighted that inequality between men and women costs Spain 212 billion euros, which is equivalent to 17.6% of GDP in 2021. According to this index, if full Equality would create 2.5 million full-time jobs among women, who make up 47.3% of the active population. Therefore, the figures show the prevailing need to promote the figure of women in the economy.
Blanca Sorigué, general director of the CZFB, highlights the growing relevance of this event to help accelerate parity in the business field. “BWAW is a transformative event that we are very proud of. Every year it is gaining greater prominence, enhancing the key role of female talent in social and economic progress,” in the words of Sorigué.
For his part, Pere Navarro, special delegate of the State at the CZFB, states that “for the CZFB it is a priority to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and especially to act as catalysts to achieve equality. In the era of the new economy, the world will have to face great challenges if we want to prosper and preserve the environment, and we can only achieve this if we join forces.”
The last edition of the BWAW provided multiple learnings and conclusions about the current situation of women in the economy, about their role in the educational system, and their current position in science, medicine, or the financial sector. As reflected in one of the main conclusions of BWAW 2023, offering a good salary, eliminating salary gaps and promoting independent and flexible talent are some of the keys to retaining female talent in STEM professions. And to increase this type of more technical vocations, it is essential to act from an early age, with a more inclusive and quality education, with more female references, that develops all the potential of future generations.
To register for the fourth edition of the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week, you just have to access the following website, where all the information and news about this essential event for gender equality is available.