A WOMEN’s SPRING IS FLOURISHING IN JAPAN AND MONACO

by E.Guidotti and M.Volpato

 MONACO. Montecarlotimes is pleased to take the cue for this spring article citing the great success of WAW! and W20 in Japan. As far as Monaco is concerned, we recall the important initiatives of the Government of the Principality for women, two all-female shows at the Théâtre Princesse Grace and the Théâtre des Variétés of Monte-Carlo, and finally the Grand Gala of AFCE Monaco.

The WAW! and the W20 IN JAPAN: this year Japan will host the G20 summit in Osaka in June, but in the meantime it hosted the fifth World Women’s Assembly (WAW!) and Women 20 (W20), two jointly held events at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo in the Chiyoda district on 23 and 24 March. WAW! is an initiative led by the Japanese government to achieve “a society in which women shine”. This annual conference developed in line with the promotion of the active participation of women in society, one of the key policies of the current administration led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “We collect wisdom from everyone, regardless of gender or age, and we realize a fantastic project for a better society,” said Abe, recalling that foreign ministers from around the world were invited for the first time in history. W20 is one of the G20 involvement groups that formulates policy recommendations at the G20. The first W20 meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2015 to act on the 25-25 commitment to reduce the participation gap between men and women to 25% by 2025, adopted at the G20 summit in Brisbane in 2014.

Based on the principles now common to the G20, that women’s progress in society promotes economic growth, the annual W20 conference was the driving force for achieving Brisbane commitment over the past five years. During the WAW and the W20, academics, ministers and government officials, business leaders, representatives of international organizations and various other actors to the world, ideas were exchanged to promote change in every corner of the globe. The Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, have been on stage in front of a large representation of the press, in the joint opening session. In honor of the WAW! theme 2019 “together for diversity”, specific topics were widely discussed by the various groups during the sessions. The vision of the W20 2019 was “Reducing the gender gap for new prosperity”. This year, the W20 focused on four fundamental themes: equity in work, financial equity, digital equity and governance. The W20 sessions facilitated discussions on topics such as “Creation of new market value by women entrepreneurs” and “Towards gender equality in the digital age”. “The W20 represents 2.3 billion women. Women with different backgrounds approached each other, guided by the firm bond of common awareness,”said Haruno Yoshida, co-president of the W20, former vice president of the Keidanren board and former CEO of BT Japan.

The joint WAW! and W20 conference 2019 in Japan was a milestone to further bridge the gender gap in which diversity thrives in order to achieve new growth.

As for the Principality of Monaco, the Committee for the promotion and protection of women’s rights, established in November 2018, has just drawn up a first evaluation of the actions undertaken and defined the guidelines to be implemented and followed. This meeting also allowed us to announce the immediate launch of four measures: the creation of a social platform dedicated to the Committee; allowing more grants to the associations working for women’s rights; the presentation of a bill on the extension of maternity leave from 16 to 18 weeks; a law to update the legislative texts containing obsolete provisions. The important meeting was attended by representatives of interested government agencies, the Department of Legal Services and elected representatives of the National Council and City Hall, the High Commissioner for Protection. of rights, freedoms and mediation, to the Economic and Social Council and to representatives of associations working for women’s rights. In his speech, M.Gilles Tonelli, government adviser – Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation as well as the members of the Committee, wanted to recall the context and the international posts of the Committee “of which, he said, one of the missions will be to coordinate the “implementation of the commitments that the Principality makes in the framework of the conventions to which it belongs.” Mrs Céline Cottalorda, delegate for the promotion and protection of women’s rights, then presented a summary of the progress and the main expectations of the sector. Mrs Sophie Vincent, head of the IMSEE, presented a progress report on ongoing studies on the measurement of possible pay inequalities between women and men and the establishment of indicators on violence against women.

Furthermore, as established by the commission, thematic working groups were set up to allow participants to meet regularly and promote women’s rights. Therefore, the following topics have been maintained, with the following missions to be implemented: strengthening vocational training actions for the reception of victims; promote gender equality by raising public awareness; create a website dedicated to the committee and women’s rights; continue studies on wages and violence. This work will be the subject of a follow-up and a report, topics that will be discussed at the next committee meeting to be held before the end of 2019. At the end of the meeting, the Studio de Monaco presented a theatrical show directed by Christelle Revel “53 ans”(53 years old), in which three childhood friends, approaching the age of thirty, imagine the day they will become mothers. This show is not the only one to talk about women of our time in an original and unusual way in Monaco! So Montecarlotimes-Les Nouvelles is happy to promote a show that promises to be very interesting and that will be performed at the Théâtre des Variétés in Monte Carlo on May 16th and 17th (free admission) entitled “ET PENDANT CE TEMPS SIMONE VEILLE!”

Presented by La Compagnie de Florestan conducted by Laure Podévin, the show focuses on the figure of the great French politician Simone Veil.

Born Jacob on 13 July 1927 in Nice and died on 30 June 2017 in Paris, Simone Veil was a French magistrate and statesman. Born into a Jewish family originally from Lorraine, she was deported to Auschwitz at the age of 16, during the Holocaust, where she lost her father, her brother and her mother. He was saved along with her sisters Madeleine and Denise, also deported, and she married Antoine Veil in 1946. After studying law and political science, she entered the judiciary as a senior official. In 1974, she was appointed Minister of Health by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who instructed her to formulate the law that decriminalizes the use by women of abortion, which will then be commonly called “Veil Law”.Veil therefore appears as an icon of the fight against discrimination against women in France. She as the first woman to become president of the newly elected European Parliament, a position she held from 1979 to 1982 and is unanimously considered one of the promoters of Franco-German reconciliation and the construction of a United Europe.

From 1993 to 1995, Simone Veil was Minister of State, Minister of Social Affairs, Health and the City of Paris in the Édouard Balladur government. She took part in the 1998-2007 Constitutional Council, before being elected to the French Academy in 2008. On the decree of President Emmanuel Macron, Simone Veil entered the Pantheon next to her husband on 1 July 2018.

AFCEMonaco: as far as the Association of women entrepreneurs worldwide is concerned, the Principality of Monaco, proud of its remarkable female entrepreneurship, has fully accepted this great initiative. This gave birth to a separate entity, the Association des Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Monaco. Under the leadership of the Economic Development Chamber of Monaco (CDE) and later the Munich Economy Board (MEB) in 2015, the Monaco’s branch was founded on 15 July 2004. Therefore an anniversary Gala in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II will celebrate the 15 years of AFCEMonaco at the Monte Carlo Beach hotel, an evening of celebration and long dress music, Saturday 13 July 2019. 

The association includes several atypical personalities with important experiences in their respective sectors, women invested in the Monegasque economic life who show in a clear way the willingness to participate in the general development of the Principality. The purpose of the association is to study and defend the general rights and interests of women entrepreneurs and businesses in general; inform women entrepreneurs of the functions they are or will be open to them; encourage and support the demands of professional bodies and all state bodies dealing with economic issues; inform and document the members of the association on all matters concerning the company; animate the network of women entrepreneurs in the Principality of Monaco and promote female entrepreneurship in professional and economic organizations in the Principality and abroad. The history of this movement has its origin in necessity. During the First World War, it was necessary to replace the men called to fight at all levels. And the same happened during the Second World War. Thus, in 1945, in France, the entrepreneur Yvonne Foinant decided to create the Association of the French CEO women. The goal is to support women entrepreneurs in their career paths, in a great spirit of friendship and solidarity. Today it is a network in 40 countries on five continents. The logo of the Monegasque Association represents the caduceus with the winged stick symbol of the magic wand of Hermes, god of Commerce, Diplomacy, Prosperity, Eloquence and Union. It is under these good wishes that women entrepreneurs of Monaco have begun to recruit quality members. In a short time, enriched by the diversity of nationalities and sectors of activity represented by the members, they participated in international events, where they could defend and appreciate the specificity of Monaco. The first president for three years was Elizabeth Ritter Moati, then Honorary President for several years. Antonia Ivaldi took over the presidency for the three-year period 2008-2011. In March 2011, Joëlle Baccialon chaired AFCEM. From 7 April 2017, date of the General Assembly, the members have formed a new executive committee, now composed of Hilde Heye as President, Joëlle Baccialon Honorary President, Cinzia Cicolella vice president, Caterina Reviglio Sonnino General Secretary, Emmanuelle Bouvet Treasurer. In addition to the new Bureau, composed of Patrizia Fiorelli (relations with Italy), Caroline Lagarde Faraud (relations with France), Heloise Garino (internet), Federica Nardoni Spinetta (SEM reports, Chambre de la Mode, Fashion Week, CREM, Lions Club), Sophie Giaconelli (communication and events, SYCOM reports, ROTARY). Assistants to the Executive Committee are Annie Van Driessche (editorial, newsletter), Patricia Cressot Vandrebeck (sympathizer member, communications with the outside) and Nicole Delacour Law (international relations).