Equal Opportunities – Role of Women in Business to Be Discussed at SPIEF 2019
Equal Opportunities – Role of Women in Business to Be Discussed at SPIEF 2019
Two sessions devoted to the role of women in modern business will be held as part of the business program of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
During the ‘Equal Opportunities in the Digital Age’, participants will discuss women's contribution to strengthening national and global economic, social, political, and cultural potential. The session will be moderated by Skolkovo Forum General Director Ekaterina Inozemtseva. The speakers will include Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Galina Karelova, VTB Bank Chairman of the Management Board Olga Dergunova, InfoWatch Group of Companies President Natalya Kasperskaya, Rostelecom President and Chairman of the Executive Board Mikhail Oseyevsky, Otkritie FC Bank Deputy President and Chairman of the Management Board Nadiya Cherkasova, Vice-Rector for International Relations at Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) Victoria Panova, and National Media Group CEO Olga Paskina.
Such issues as the greater and more equal inclusion of women in public, political, and economic life are inextricably linked to the opportunities presented by the new industrial revolution and the transition of the world economy to the digital age. Digital and information technologies are transforming our understanding of production and management and fundamentally changing people’s daily lives. The emergence of professions at the juncture of technology and science require the comprehensive training of professionals who must apply knowledge of the high-tech and digital spheres as well as humanitarian, social, and cultural areas. Access to education and science and the active involvement of women in high-tech and humanities (STEAM) are crucial requirements that will determine equal opportunities in the era of digitalization and allow women not only to fully realize the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but also to contribute to the sustainable development of society. The participants will discuss what new challenges women are facing in the digitalized labour market and how to increase women’s entrepreneurial activity.
The role of women in leadership positions will be discussed during the session ‘Role of Women Executives in Building Successful Business Models’. The meeting will be moderated by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Chief of the Europe and Central Asia Division Jacek Cukrowski. The discussion participants will include Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Galina Karelova, UNIDO Director General Li Yong, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Russian Federation Renee Jones-Bos, and Head of Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger for Russia Anna-Maria Treneva, among others.
“Today, the issue of women’s economic empowerment on the path to leadership positions that help to increase the contribution of female managers to the sustainable development of the economic sector is becoming increasing important. During the sessions, we will discuss the role of politicians and business leaders as regards involving more women to economic activities, what specific measures should be taken to encourage women’s leadership in industry and the public sector, and what kind of prospects are being created for female managers in the era of digitalization and the fourth industrial revolution”, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Galina Karelova said.
