The office of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Greece and Cyprus, in collaboration with the Institute of Democracy Konstantinos Karamanlis and the organization Women Act, organized on Wednesday, March 2, 2022 the hybrid event entitled "Positive action policies for women in Greece and Europe" aiming at strengthening the presence of women in politics and entrepreneurship.

Due to the war situation in Ukraine, the event was dedicated to the anonymous Ukrainian woman who is facing a number of difficulties in time of war.

Discussants of the event were from the business sector Myladie Stoumbou, Regional Director, Microsoft / Chair, Women in Business Committee, American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, May Zanni, Co-Founder and President of Women Act representing civil society, the Member of the European Parliament (EPP) and EPP Group Coordinator of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Frances Fitzgerald and Maria Syrengela, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.

Through the four-round discussion, the speakers exchanged their views on the issue of gender equality. The pandemic highlighted a number of issues such as the increase in gender-based violence and the workload of women without the corresponding financial reward. The government, according to Maria Syrengela, has recognized these challenges and as a result the new National Action Plan for Gender Equality includes measures that cover all areas of women's lives.

Regarding the business sector, the implementation of quotas has increased female executives’ visibility in companies. All three speakers, Ms. Zanni, Ms. Stoumbou and Ms. Fitzgerald, pointed out that companies with an equal number of women and men on their Board were more profitable than male-dominated Boards. The important contribution of women in the field of STEM and in the development of innovations was also underlined. As far as the action at European level is concerned, a number of European directives for the empowerment of women and business inclusion have been adopted.

Some key conclusions emerged from the event: Apart from the issue’s social dimension, the equal participation of women in business has also a significant economic dimension. In addition to the adoption of measures aiming at strengthening the position of women, the promotion the right role models and support on the part of men are necessary, in order to establish a culture of equality in society. 

The discussion was moderated by Panagiotis Kakolyris, Head of Intl. Relations, Institute for Democracy Konstantinos Karamanlis.