The cycle “Leading economic sectors with female talent” focuses on trade and tourism
“70% of the trade is carried by women, but only men are leading the associations”. This way the president of 50a50, Anna Mercadé, started the third round table of the cycle “Leading economic sectors with female talent“, focused on trade and tourism and held at the Center for Entrepreneurship of Barcelona Activa.
This cycle is organized by the association 50a50 and Barcelona Activa, with the aim of making women’s talent visible and advancing towards the full and effective participation of women at all levels.
In the third session, which introduced and moderated Mercadé, the speakers were Daniela Freund, researcher of the Chair of Responsible Tourism and Hospitality of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management Sant Ignasi HTSI; Nuria Paricio, general director of Barcelona Oberta, and Inmaculada Ranera, general director of Christie & Co Spain and Portugal.
The president of 50a50 made a review of the state of the situation of women in the Catalan company. She recalled that women are entrepreneurs by nature, a need that is given by several reasons, such as unemployment, conciliation, economic independence and glass roof, among others. Likewise, she valued the capacities of women to lead and direct, by emotional intelligence, empathy, active listening, consensus search, mirror neurons and long-term vision.
“Women lead, men command,” said Nuria Paricio. In her opinion, it takes a generation and a half to change it. It would also help to rationalize schedules in the trade.
Daniela Freund stressed that there is a 20% wage gap in the tourism sector and that there is only 30% of women managers. However, she appreciated the great potential of this sector, which already occupies many women, although in basic jobs. She also stressed the importance of educating children in the co-responsibility of care tasks and emphasized the need for small actions: “If you think the action is too small to cause an impact, you have never slept with a mosquito”.
Inmaculada Ranera, meanwhile, said that the long-term vision of women and their creativity should be put in value, as they are very useful tools in these sectors.
In this sense, the transformation of traditional commerce into online commerce represents an opportunity for women.
The cycle “Leading economic sectors with female talent” has continuity until the end of the year. The next session will be held on October 25.