BUSINESS FORUM “EQUALITY PAYS OFF – A EUROPE 2020 INITIATIVE” – APRIL 2013
Danae Bezantakou travelled to Brussels in order to participate in the Business Forum “Equality Pays off-A Europe 2020 initiative” on 21st March 2013.
The Business Forum enabled 165 representatives of companies, multiplier organisations and institutions from 31 European countries to trade knowledge and strategies on how best to access current and future female talent.
After a multi-media presentation on how the labour market is changing and a keynote address from Françoise le Bail, the European Commission’s Director General for Justice, small discussion groups and workshops saw intensive exchang-es between CEOs, HR directors and diversity managers. They focused on finding better ways to attract and promote female talent and ensuring that measures to implement equal pay for equal work are embedded in corporate structures. In his keynote Thomas Sattelberger, former Member of the Management Board of Deutsche Telekom AG and Continental AG, urged the participants to see gender equality and equal pay as a corporate responsibility.
First-mover companies in the field of gender equality presented their experiences in applying good practices. One key conclusion was that gender equality is not just a fundamental right, but also a pre-condition for future economic success. Many participants saw a need for further European level events like the Business Forum. During these events, companies could discuss the challenges and difficulties they face in their company and inside their national context to ensure full support from management and the backing of both male and female staff for measures to implement gender equality
