G7, Women Empowerment & Gender Equality

President Emmmanuel Macron has included the discussion on women empowerment and gender equality at G7 Summit organized from 24th to 26th August in France. The country has made a firm commitment to enact a specific law on the economic empowerment of women.

It is a good opportunity for me to recall my discussion with young graduates on gender equality, the place of women in business and women empowerment at the three-day seminar hosted by Melvira Academy.

We had enriching discussions on the internal and external barriers that prevent women from succeeding in their careers, such as a lack of self-confidence, fading instead of asserting themselves... I urged my younger sisters (and brothers) to consider self-confidence as a muscle, the more we practice it, the more it develops and that they should take their rightful place. We also discussed the need to take strategic risks in their careers, because any progress requires leaving our comfort zones and learning from our failures.

Finally, we agreed that gender equality can only be achieved with more women in positions of power, but that there is not only one definition of success. Leadership is not the only way to make an impact or to leave a legacy. You may be willing to live your life in a different way or with other meaningful goals. But if you want to pursue a professional career in corporate, business or politics, I urge you to be ambitious in any of your pursuits.

I am proud that to see that France is taking a step forward with legal commitments to advance this important cause.