A moment of discussion and comparison to promote the role of business women in the working world, with the conviction that, thanks to their ability, they cangive new life to the growth of the global market. The meeting, entitled "Women in Business", was organized by theGovernment Equalities Office of the United Kingdom, and was held this morning at the United Kingdom Pavilion. "Our intention is to encourage women to be more involved in the working and business world", underlined Alison Pritchard, director of the Equalities Office and Sarah Everett, director of the United Kingdom Pavilion. "We are particularly satisfied that today’s meeting is part of the Women’s Weeks, an event that is making women's voices heard at last.”
The morning's works were opened by a video message fromNicky Morgan, Minister of Education delegated for Women's policies and equal opportunities. "The United Kingdom Pavilion, that is a huge beehive, is a fantastic metaphor for our country, a welcoming place that allows ideas to flourish, said Nicky Morgan. Creativity and cooperation are extremely important to addressglobal sustainability challenges. There are exemplary figures in theUnited Kingdom, I am thinking ofPenny Power, for example, who created the first business social network in theUnited Kingdombefore Linkedin and Facebook, andKate Doodson, whose Information Technology activities are an example for other women interested in developing digital technology. Our message is clear: great entrepreneurs are coming forward in the United Kingdom and more and more are women. Twenty percent of small and medium-sized businesses are managed by women or by a team with over 50 percent of women. In our country there areone million small businessesmanaged by women, for an incredible contribution to the British economy. These are the achievements that deserve to be celebrated."
Among others guests speaking about their experience,Naomi Mitchison, a young professional of Italian descent who now works as an electronics engineer in Edinburgh forFinmeccanica-SelexES. "Entrepreneurship, like engineering, analyzes a great situation, breaking it down into smaller and smaller pieces, until we understand how it functions. The logic is fundamental. What makes the difference between success and failure is not avoiding problems, but facing them. I let myself often be inspired by the words of a woman engineer from Gallarate,Amalia Ercoli Finzi: "What improves innovation is the ability to look into the future". To do things in a new way, we need the ability to look forward; we have to imagine the world as it could be. Luckily,determination,creativityandproblem solvingskills are something women possess within: we must not be afraid, but embark on new adventures without being intimidated by prestige unconventional roles".
"I'm happy for what we have achieved during the last Government and I'm excited for what we can do in the future, because there are so many women out there who, with their professionalism and creativity, can give theircontribution to global growth", Nicky Morgan concluded. "The British government wants to support women to help them realize theirpotential, facilitating access to consultancy, training and necessary funding. I think that meetings like these, that favor international discussion and comparison, are the starting point to help women conquer the position they deserve in the entrepreneurial world.”
