I was asked to capture the UN’s Women WEP Launch at BNP Paribas
on May 1st 2012. The WEP or Women’s Empowerment Principles is a campaign
by UN Women asking
companies to sign a CEO Statement that supports the empowerment of women
in the workplace. The aim is to make a better working environment and
community to be in by having more women in senior positions. As a woman
myself I found the idea of this event very compelling and I couldn’t wait
to attend.
The launch included several high-profile
speakers such as Baroness Northover, Liberal Democrat peer and government
spokeswoman on international development, as well as Cynthia Carroll, chief
executive of mining giant Anglo American. Other speakers included Robert
Swannell, chairman of Marks & Spencer and Marie Sigsworth, Group Corporate
Responsibility Director at Aviva who talked about her experience in improving
gender equality. (The Financial News)
This event was truly inspiring and
empowering, it came to me as a shock that even in this modern age, where women
and men are supposed to have equal opportunities in employment, there are still
things such as ‘unconscious gender bias’, especially in senior positions.
One phrase that caught my attention at
the beginning of the event was when Dr Heather McGregor said “Men, if you
feel outnumbered in this room, now you know how we feel a lot of the time.”
That phrase stuck because until then, I didn’t notice that this was the sad reality.
If you would like to read a more
detailed description of the event you may visit this link: UN’s Women WEP
Launch. Also you will be able to see one of our pictures in the Financial
News.
I will keep updating if there will be more!
Anastasia Shavarska
