Matilde García Duarte (Anged) assures that “eliminating barriers and changing corporate culture” are key to promoting female talent
MADRID, 8 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Commercial distribution is one of the sectors that generates the most female employment in Spain, with 149,500 women working in the 21 companies that make up the National Association of Large Distribution Companies (Anged), which counts among its members companies such as El Corte Inglés, Carrefour, Ikea or MediaMarkt, among others.
The current president of the association, Matilde García Duarte, the first woman to hold this position in the association’s 46-year history, has indicated that this 8M, in which Women’s Day is celebrated, there is “a commitment to eliminate the barriers that have slowed down the professional development of women and their promotion within companies.”
García Duarte recalled that in some of the associated companies “more than half of the management positions are already led by women.” “Issues such as training, the removal of barriers of all kinds and changes in corporate culture are being fundamental to detecting female talent that can be incorporated into management positions,” she stressed.
Currently, five women hold the highest executive position in Anged companies, such as the president of El Corte Inglés, Marta Álvarez -who is accompanied by three other women on the board of directors-; the CEO of the Eroski Group, Rosa Carabel; the director of Carrefour Spain, Elodie Perthuisot; that of Fnac Spain, Annabel Chaussat and that of Costco Spain, Diane Tucci.
Furthermore, in other multinationals such as Tendam, 50% of its board of directors are women and nine of its 11 fashion brands are directed by women, while at Ikea 55% of its management committee is made up of women.
In this direction, at Carrefour 51% of the appointments to command, management and management positions are women, while in Alcampo they have managed to improve the weight of women in positions of responsibility by three points, with 42% of the total.
Other Anged associates such as Leroy Merlin work in a female leadership program that has allowed 59% of participating women to change positions or promote within the company. At Obramat, in a masculinized sector such as construction, it is breaking down barriers to incorporate women, as is MediaMarkt, whose priority is the professional growth of women within the company.
García Duarte recalled that “Anged companies are a key agent in raising awareness and fighting against gender violence, discrimination or for the labor insertion of women with disabilities.”
Finally, all Anged companies have protocols against harassment, awareness and training campaigns and plans to promote the reintegration of women victims of violence into the workforce, in addition to measures for material and psychological support for them and their children.
