María Helena de Felipe, President of AFAEMME, the Association of Organizations of Businesswomen in the Mediterranean, participated on Monday in the annual conference organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Salma Dialogue in Casablanca, as part of the sessions on Inclusive Governance and Innovative Leadership.

The event witnessed significant institutional participation, including members from the Kingdom of Morocco, such as Her Excellency Mdme. Awatef Hayyar, Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration, and Family, representatives from civil society, and other authorities from various states in the region.

Speech of Maria Helena de Felipe

I am going to highlight some facts, sure you will know, but we can review.
Three-quarters of Europe’s population live in the Mediterranean.
Half inhabitants of the Arab countries live in the Mediterranean.
51% of the Mediterranean people are women.

Only 3% of the worldwide wealth is held by women.
Women achieve higher qualifications than men in Universities.
Women are responsible for the 80% of the world domestic consumption.

As there are 2 ways to promote women in decision leading positions;
From the public side (Governments and its policies to balance gender in the different laws and areas) as my distinguish colleagues has been talking about.

And from the private economic side, I would like to explain a good practice that we have developed during these last 5 years «SHE DECIDES YOU SUCCED» is one of Our best initiatives:

1. The programme was launched to overcome the imbalance between the number of skilled wimin and the number of wimin in financial decision making positions in private companies.
2. Our goal is to convince private companies about benefits of having more women in decision making positions.
3. Very often private companies are not aware of the benefits and opportunities that wimin represent.
4. We aim to make them aware of women´s talent, so it doesn´t go to Waste.

Supporting the Mediterranean private sector, it is important to stimulate entrepreneurship through some actions:

• Having more women entrepreneurs participating to the main economic debates
• Encouraging the creation of companies by women
• Guiding the women towards formal economic sectors in the detriment of the informal ones.
• Identifying and evaluating the difficulties experienced by women entrepreneurs in the creation and/or the management of their companies
• Promoting the image of women entrepreneurs in the Mediterranean

Why Women Entrepreneurs are a Vital Source of Growth in our Economies?

There is a growing evidence of the link between women’s empowerment and a significant impact in higher rates of education, increased economic growth, social cohesion, leading to more stability, peace and development
Using the profits from their business to improve their family’s living conditions and lifestyle. They also tend to invest in their children’s education in order to better their lives.

By promoting an equal participation of women in the labour market and in public life, the GDP could increase by an estimated $28 trillion or 26%, by 2025

Source: McKinsey Global Institute

The progress in the region need a society based on equality of opportunities, or without ensuring the participation of women in economic and business development.

The countries can be competitive only if they develop, attract and retain the best talents, both male and female.

For this reason, it is mandatory to support programs that promote business women in the economic life of the Mediterranean countries.

While development itself will bring about women’s empowerment, empowering women will bring about changes in decision-making, which will have a direct impact on development.

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