Andreea Negru, President of PEFA: "The impact created by female management has often attracted changes in the economy"

The impact created by female management has often attracted changes in paradigms and in the economy, Andreea Negru, president of the European Business Women's Association (PEFA), said yesterday at the opening of the "Economic Trends 2024" conference.

Andreea Negru stated: "The female perspective on the business environment and sustainable development has always attracted attention through its orientation towards cooperation and understanding, instead of competition and victory at any cost. It also incites a dedication to communication and community rather than conflict and self-assertion as a leadership model. Although the weight in the decision-making process has remained a controversial topic in the specialized literature, with significant improvements over time, the impact created by female management has often attracted changes in paradigms and in the economy".

According to the president of the Employers' Association, although collecting data during wartime is difficult, of the 36,000 small and medium-sized companies registered in Ukraine in 2023, 51% have female management.

"Economists are generally men. Company directors are generally men. University professors in economics are generally men. Only 20% of the European academic environment is represented by women. In the United States only 15%. However, these gaps are improving. At the European level, from an average of 10-12% recorded in 2010, currently female leadership has already exceeded an average of 30%", says Andreea Negru.

The President of the European Patronage of Business Women added: "It is not enough just to have women in management positions, but we need economic policies inspired by women based on cooperation and integration. Many of the issues related to gender equality are recognized worldwide and economic policies seem to be competing to remedy them. In Jordan, for example, female participation in the labor market is expected to double by 2030. As a final statistic of women's performance worldwide, we can add that over the past ten years, the increase in the degree of employment of women in the labor field has led to an increase in the value of the world production of goods and services greater than the contribution made by China".

According to the president of the employer, the year 2024 promises to be full of challenges but also of enormous opportunities, regardless of gender. "In terms of economic development, it is essential that we, representatives of different economic sectors, be proactive in adapting to these trends and invest in innovation, sustainability, digitization, education and international collaboration. Through such actions we can build a stronger, more resilient and more inclusive economic future for all", concluded Andreea Negru.