International Women’s Day: What Women Want
Gender biases against women can take many forms; and still exist all over the world. Some women are taking the lead in change to inspire others, but there is much more progress to be made.
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00:00 The aim of this year`s International Women`s Day was to inspire inclusion. From technology
00:06 to academia, women are leading the fight to eliminate gender bias and forge a more equal
00:12 world.
00:16 Welcome to the Exchange from our studios here in Doha.
00:20 Coming up, I speak to two women who are leading the way when it comes to inclusion.
00:24 Catherine Mayer from the International Conference Group Web Summit. She`s also the new CEO of
00:29 U.S. radio network NPR, plus Dr. Shahina Jandua Jivran, author and educator of one of the
00:35 world`s leading business school brands.
00:38 Well, International Women`s Day is a day that highlights the strength, courage and resilience
00:43 of women around the world. With its origins dating right back to 1911, International Women`s
00:50 Day was officially recognized in 1975 by the United Nations. Since then, March the 8th
00:56 is celebrated for the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women across
01:01 the globe.
01:03 Catherine Mayer is the CEO of NPR, a vast media network of over 1,000 U.S. radio stations.
01:10 She`s also a board director of events organization Web Summit. I caught up with her to get her
01:15 perspective on the fight for equality in the boardrooms of big tech.
01:22 I am encouraged by the trends that we see around women being in leadership roles generally
01:27 in politics and academia. I have to say that the technology world is not keeping up. We`re
01:33 seeing incredible graduation rates of women coming out of STEM programs. That`s particularly
01:38 true here in the Middle East. We are seeing that women are graduating with advanced degrees
01:44 at higher rates than men all across the globe. But we are not seeing that translate into
01:49 women founders who are being successful, being able to raise capital for their ventures.
01:53 We are not seeing that translate into necessarily women leadership at the top of the large technology
01:58 companies.
01:59 And I know for Web Summit, one of the things that we invest very deeply in is our women
02:03 in tech program, which brings thousands of women into our events. We focus on trying
02:07 to achieve gender parity in terms of our attendees. We really focus on founder - women founders
02:12 at our startups. About one-third of our startups at Web Summit Lisbon were women founded. So,
02:18 we`re doing our part. We feel like the rest of the industry needs to continue to do its
02:21 part as well.
02:24 Catherine Mayer there on how corporate leadership is changing. But could gender also be altering
02:30 the way institutions invest? Our reporter Cyril Fenares in Paris has been exploring
02:36 the link between female investors and saving the planet.
02:40 Hello, Guy. It`s a fact women invest less than men. But this is changing. And the good
02:47 news is that it can change the world too. We talk to Catherine Abonin, the president
02:52 of Europe`s first network of women business angels.
02:57 Thank you for being with us. Tell us about this new generation of investors.
03:01 It is great, this new generation of investors. The rise of cryptocurrencies or the rise
03:07 of startups has made that now we talk a lot more about money and investment in the young
03:13 generation. And they are the most powerful among the women investors community.
03:20 You also note an increase in women`s investment in impact. Explain to us.
03:25 Impact investment for women is quite natural because they are looking for meaning. And
03:31 in this regard, impact investment, that is, investment, for example, in the environmental
03:35 sector, on solar energy, or investment in the societal field. I think in the health
03:42 sector, but especially in the sector of disability. By investing in a company that
03:49 acts in this area, women investors can have a societal, economic and environmental impact.
03:56 What should be done to go towards more parity and therefore a more sustainable, more inclusive
04:02 world?
04:03 First, we have to figure out, measure. That is the first thing. The second is to raise
04:10 women`s investment. And for that, we have to start talking about investment and the
04:16 economy at school.
04:17 That`s it, Guy. As you can see, there`s still a long way to go, but the momentum is right.
04:25 So what can be done to maintain this momentum? I spoke to Dr. Shahina Jandua-Jurav, associate
04:31 professor in leadership and innovation at HEC Paris Business School in Qatar. She`s
04:37 also an award-winning author. And I started by asking her about the glass ceiling and
04:42 what steps employers and women should adopt to smash through it.
04:48 The glass ceiling is still a thing, but actually, there is another area we need to pay a lot
04:53 more attention to. And that`s - it`s got two names. Either it`s called the sticky floor
04:58 or the broken rung. If women don`t get the right support from their direct line managers,
05:03 that`s the point at which they leave the organization.
05:06 What`s your message to CEOs over the next sort of two to five years?
05:10 It`s not enough to walk the talk. It is - it is really throwing resources, investing in
05:15 it. This is what makes a difference for women`s careers.
05:18 So, lots of challenges, but is there also hope?
05:22 Pre-COVID, the World Economic Forum had estimated it would take 100 years to reach gender parity.
05:28 That data last year is now at 131 years. So, we`re talking about five generations. And
05:35 that`s really where the problem is, that there is a lot of work going on, there`s a huge
05:38 amount of activity. We have International Women`s Day, but it`s not enough. We need
05:43 leadership commitment to it.
05:44 So, one of your most recent books, "Take the Lead," a call to action. Can you tell us a
05:49 bit more about that?
05:50 The book is for women, and it`s also for men to take on the role of allyship and to recognize
05:56 their role as champions, which is a much more nuanced form of sponsorship to support women
06:00 into leadership.
06:01 So, challenging assumptions around imposter syndrome, challenging assumptions around how
06:05 women lead teams. And some of the data that`s quite old actually bringing a fresh approach
06:09 to it.
06:10 Now, for our Business in 60 feature. And this time, we focus on companies with women at
06:17 the helm. Start the clock.
06:20 Oracle will be declaring its quarterly results this month. The database and tech company
06:24 maintained a strong share price throughout 2023. 2024 looks promising for the company
06:30 as it expands operations throughout the world, intending to break into the market in the
06:35 Middle East.
06:36 Fashion brand Chanel will be launching their new spring/summer collection this month. 2023
06:42 was an exciting year for the brand, launching new stores across the MENA region. The iconic
06:47 fashion label will be hoping that the new collection will be good news for shareholders
06:52 and a continuation of its performance in 2023.
06:56 And General Motors is hosting its annual investors day. The giant American automobile manufacturing
07:02 company had a mixed set of results in 2023, being forced to lay off more than 1,000 workers
07:09 in its Michigan-based factory. Let`s hope for shareholders and the company that 2024
07:16 brings much better news.
07:21 Inside the boardrooms of the world`s biggest businesses, equality and diversity have never
07:26 been more closely monitored. But as we`ve heard, companies need to evolve in order to
07:31 stay alive. This means inclusivity, the theme of this year`s International Women`s Day,
07:37 is not just about forging a fairer world. It`s equally emerging as a strategy for longer
07:42 term financial success.
07:44 Well, that`s all we have time for on this edition of the show. Thank you for watching.
07:49 Please do check out euronews.com for all your latest business news. And join us again next
07:54 time on "The Exchange."
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