Achieving gender equality is not only correct, but also economically profitable. This was stated by Chairman of the Board of the Council of Business Women in Bulgaria Dr. Eng. Boriana Manolova during the forum “Why to invest in women?”. In her speech, she highlighted numerous studies that confirm that women in most regions of the world, including in developed countries, continue to be restricted in their professional development because of public outdated dogmas and economic understandings. “Numerous studies show that women’s participation in the management of the companies is contributing to their stability and good financial results. However, women in many countries continue to live under an “invisible ceiling,” she added.

The equality of women and men, the Bulgarian legislative initiatives in this regard, gender quotas, good examples from abroad and others were some of the topics discussed at the forum. Geir Shoberg, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Norway, spoke about the situation in his country, where the introduction of quotas has helped a significantly to change the public attitudes on this issue.

“The Council of Women supports the idea of ​​introducing gender quotas that could help more the balanced participation in business and social life of both sexes, which ultimately benefits the whole society,” said Eng. Manolova. She added that businesses can and should play a vital role in promoting gender equality. “Different corporate and training programs to promote the professional development of women can help significantly the women to discover the right path for themselves in business. Our Leadership Academy is one of those programs and I am pleased to confirm that it has already yielded positive results. The graduates of the first class of the Academy say that they feel more confident and prepared to deal with challenges that they could face in the business environment,” she concluded.