Why women’s work STILL hangs in the balance in modern corporate culture.

By Chris Dove

35% of Spanish companies with 250+ employees implement an equality plan. Yet while women account for 33% of Spanish businesses, they receive a minimal 8% of bank loans and no governor of a European central bank is female. These shocking statistics have sparked a heated debate at Business BCN. Our mission is to identify the challenges and successes of two high-achieving Catalan businesswomen, hearing first-hand their views on our male-dominated corporate society.

Spanish Government gender policies

PM Zapatero is singled out among European leaders for taking a bold stand in passing a 2007 law obliging public companies and listed firms with more than 250 employees to apply a minimum 40% quota for both genders in the composition of their boards. Due to become compulsory from 2015, its early impact is such that female representation on Spanish companies’ boards doubled from 5% in 2006 to 10% in 2009.

Catalonia’s High-Achieving Females

Barcelona boasts some of the brightest businesswomen operating in the private and public sectors.

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ELISABETH DE NADAL

Litigation Partner at Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira SLP.

The complex legal world of commercial litigation and arbitration is not known for its abundance of women. Yet Elisabeth de Nadal has invested years of legal training in her field, successfully heading up the arbitration team specialising in corporate litigation disputes arising from mergers and acquisitions; disputes relating to competition law; and contracts for commercial distribution in the leisure and sports industries.

“A lawyer all my life” part-trained in London, a Member of the Bar Association of Barcelona and a University Lecturer on Arbitration, Elisabeth is proof that in the most pressure-driven business environments, women are inherently attuned to deliver results. Commercial litigation covers any type of legal controversy related to business issues, requiring her well-developed personal qualities, sound judgement, resourcefulness and sensitivity.

Views From the Top: Private Sector

Elisabeth explains why, in her view, Spanish women have not risen to the top in the business world as rapidly as they have in politics, feeling that some advances have been made. “In my 41 years, while nothing seems to have changed in or outside my house, there’s still a concept of measuring success focused on ranking how much responsibility and economic success we have. This is not what I believe. There is an opportunity for women today to measure success in global, holistic terms – we need to move society away from badges and titles. Everyone has responsibilities. If we look at the financial crisis, peo-ple ask: ‘Where are the women in all this?’”, she continues. “SMEs gain from women’s input so we have to show our own responsibilities.”

An issue of gender politics Elisabeth highlights is that of social corporate responsibility and the way, it seems, businesswomen are somehow pre-programmed to uphold its principles more so than their male counterparts. “To survive in business today, companies have to integrate such themes, those in the public sector as well. I don’t think any intelligent leader would have any other view.”

Not just words, as Elisabeth explains how Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira put social responsibility into practice. “We offer a programme of public sector services as part of a network of lawyers engaged in actions on a ‘pro bono’ voluntary basis with the Third Sector, such as cultural organisations and museums, assisting employees with training projects and rights issues. We sort out concrete problems and deal with such matters on their behalf as we know the people they should be collaborating with. This is fundamental to the mentality of how we work.”

Alongside her colleague in the Madrid office, Elisabeth coordinates the dedicated team of 30 lawyers assisting less fortunate people in sorting out their social problems and “offering them everything they need to the end.” Stressing their commitment to social responsibility, she explains: “When we do this, we provide exactly the same high standards, quality service and number of hours as we give to our paying clients to ensure we meet all the assignment’s objectives. This works very, very well for us.”

Referring to women’s supposed lack of the “power gene” to succeed, Elisabeth states: “The majority of women can succeed in whatever they do; they have the capacity to illuminate the whole room whether they’re working in the entrepreneurial field or in a private company. They also have families and it’s about the capacity to focus.”

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HELENA DE FELIPE LETHONEN

President of the Association of Organisations of Mediterranean Businesswomen and Co-founder of FES Business Consulting

As a gender and business expert, Helena de Felipe Lethonen was the first female entrepreneur to present the conclusions of a Strategic Gender Project to the European Parliament in 2004. The only Spanish economics and politics representative in a decision-making position at the European Commission’s Network of Gender Equality, she helped publish the EU’s Equal Opportunities paper: ‘More women in senior positions – key to economic stability and growth 2010’.

Having founded Gestoria de les Dones, a female run Catalan SME advice service, Helena represented female entrepreneurs in the Museum of the History of Catalonia Exhibit “Women, the Roads of Freedom”. In conjunction with her role as Vice-President of OMEGA, the Spanish Organisation of Women Entrepreneurs, she provides legal consultancy and accounting services to companies as co-founder and partner of FES Business Consulting.

Views from the Top: Public Sector

Commenting on why women are not at the top of their game in business as they are in politics, Helena explains: “It has primarily to do with the problems of reconciling work and family life. Often, when a woman has access to a decision-making position in a company, she has to choose between this and her family life. This is a problem – women should have the opportunity to do both: being in a decision-making position and enjoying her private and family life. Companies have to understand that, by implementing measures to reconcile work and family life, women can be even more efficient and this can generate a direct benefit for the company itself.”

Referring to women’s approach to social corporate responsibility, Helena’s balanced view is that “there are capable businesswomen as well as capable businessmen. There will be businesswomen who uphold its principles and women who will not. This is a question of the talent, capabilities and vision of each entrepreneur.”

On the principal issue of low bank lending to female entrepreneurs, Helena believes “Women are still facing problems of access to finance for their businesses. Therefore, instruments which may facilitate the development of female businesses are welcomed. It’s similar to the quota instrument. Women might achieve equal representation but it will take many years – probably too many – so pushing the process forward is very helpful for achieving equality.”

Women’s inner strength invites Helena’s view that “Women have always fought for survival and the survival of their families. Consequently, they are strong in trying to achieve what they want. But there are women with inner strength to achieve their goals and others without it. In any case, those who are strong and who achieve their goals, also by risk taking, will go forwards in setting up their businesses.”