Last Monday, March 8, on the occasion of Women’s Day, we shared a virtual lunch with our colleagues, in which we promised to promote gender equality throughout the year.
In the presentation by Rafael Paulet, among other reflections, he stated:
- Without being anywhere near enough, you just have to look at the evolution of language, customs and the empowerment of women in the last 30-40 years, especially in the more educated strata of our society. This is probably why we can place ourselves in our business segment quite close to an almost equal situation and I say almost because there are many women in a sector dominated basically by men, we still have to make technology more attractive to a new generation of women who they can contribute their values and their vision.
Agnès Aguiló and Sonia Campins, two of our women with a more technical and managerial profile, explained to us the challenges they have had to face during their career and also the achievements they have achieved. However, not many women manage to overcome these challenges, since only 27% of professionals in the IT world in Spain are women.
Sonia Campins
- Since I was little, I was clear about what I wanted to do: I liked being able to heal and understand how the human body works. The academic note helped me decide on my plan B, which was also clear to me, the world of computing. I started as a secretary at a computer company, while I was studying the same thing, so after a year I had the opportunity to work as a programmer. As my career progressed, I became increasingly interested in the administration and management of databases and operating systems, which is one of the most technical areas.
Working for a project, the client specified that he needed experts but that women abstain. They had to accept that my partner was going to fix the problem …
Sonia Campins
- This has led me many times to work 12-13-15h in a row. I have even gotten to work, in some essential moments for a project, 36 hours in a row. On occasion I have faced having to redo an installation, which had lasted all day, and which had been damaged by the intervention of systems men … Obviously, as I was asked, I stayed until everything worked perfectly. new.
- Most likely, not having children has helped me invest so many hours at work and has equaled my male colleagues. It is assumed that the person in charge of the children is always the woman, and thus, they do not have the opportunity to grow so much, due to the time of dedication available in the work activity.
- In my more than 30 years of experience, despite being a woman, I have not felt barriers in the world of work when it comes to accessing interesting projects around the world: I have been lucky enough to be able to participate in projects for Airbus and the Agency European Space in Toulouse, Oracle or IBM in Montpellier. Well, once they did try to discriminate against me for being a woman, but they didn’t come out voctorious: Working for a client from Saudi Arabia, they asked us that they needed face-to-face assistance for one of the products. They specified that they needed experts but that women abstain. They had the “bad” luck that the two experts were women and they had to accept that my partner was going to fix the problem … Therefore, long live the technological women, this was one of our victories!
Agnès Aguiló
- I have to say that in all the years that I have been working in companies like ours, I have never encountered any kind of differentiation or feeling of being less than others, men or women.
Where I began to have an awareness that I am important and I am no less than anyone else was at home, with my family. My message is education, education and education.
Agnès Aguiló
- There are different types of machismo and in different areas and sectors, but on a daily basis we find many cultural, non-conscious. And here I want to go, to education. Where I began to have an awareness that I am important and I am no less than anyone else was at home, with my family. Education, both in school and in society, creating non-stereotypical models (such as female astronauts or male nurses) for me is the key for us to move forward. My message is education, education and education.
Next, we opened a debate with all the colleagues who were present in the session and some of them also wanted to share their point of view and do their bit in this fight, which is not by and for women, but rather It must be a commitment of society as a whole, in order to achieve a global benefit.
Rafael Paulet:
- We have to remain especially vigilant, since even when in our bubble we do not suffer it, it does not mean that power (resources, need) and or brute force are imposed in situations of inequality. We as a society have the obligation to put a special focus and effort to overcome this scourge.
Rodrigo Fernández
- I do not agree with the concept of women’s day, because it should be a continuum. I think that beyond women, it is men who have to make a transition to a different position, a cultural transition that costs a lot. It is difficult to take charge of the micromachisms that we have and the comments that “come out” for cultural, historical or social reasons. For me, the only way to do it is by being aware not only today but every day, and not only in the work environment but also in the family. I do not think it is a day, but a transition to a world where it does not matter where you are from, male or female, your sexual condition, your origin or language, but that we are all treated as people and in the same way. It is not a utopian question, it is a question of daily work.
For me, education is basic: you have to educate boys to know how to respect girls, and girls have to be educated to be respected. All this, not only with gender but with sexual orientation, races, cultures, physicality, languages … It is very important.
Àfrica Margarit
Women are fighters, we must make ourselves respected and show that there are no differences between genders: We can all achieve what we set out to do.
This transition must be promoted from the family, academic and institutional sphere. They are 3 basic and fundamental pillars to achieve a global impact that allows to transcend and renew the mental and cultural schemes transmitted over generations.
Maica Cárdenas
As you can see, our colleagues are clear: education, change and respect are the foundations of equality. Because Women’s Day is not celebrated to position women above the rest of society, but rather promotes the equality of all human beings and respect among equals regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race or other personal attributes. We are all different, we are all unique.
Thus, we still have great goals ahead in our sector, to achieve parity and, therefore, that the contribution of gender makes us better, as people, as a company and as a society.
