Europe honors its new equality champions. This happened at a special event in the Berlemont building in Brussels on March 8, and the leaders in the fight for equality within the European Union were honored by European Commissioner Maria Gabriel.
The ceremony marked the beginning of a two-day forum of women entrepreneurs in Europe, which brings together representatives of various fields and businesses, inspiring speakers and investors, united by the idea of gender equality in the business climate of the European Union.
The awards were presented in three categories, with the prize for “Sustainable Champion” shared between Trinity College Dublin and Karolinska Institutet. The “Newcomer Champion” award went to Maynooth University of Ireland and the Irish Technical University was awarded the “Continuity Champion”.
During the ceremony, European Commissioner Gabriel outlined three valid steps towards improving the European business environment for women entrepreneurs. Among them are training, internships and jobs for women with STEM education, as well as the upcoming Women to invest program. Last but not least, among the highlights was an award for women innovators.
The beginning of the European Forum for Women Founders (European Women Founders Group) was set in the summer of 2022 in Sofia under the auspices of European Commissioner Maria Gabriel. Among the priorities of the forum are the challenges and opportunities for women in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.
According to data from the European Commission from 2018, women make up 52% of the population of Europe, and only 30% of them are part of the entrepreneurs within the European Union. In 2021, start-up companies in Europe generated over 100 billion euros in venture capital investments, with only 2% of them going to teams led by women, and less than 10% to teams with leaders of different genders.
Photo: European Union
