A report by Grant Thornton highlights that 27% of managerial roles in the business sector in Spain are held by women, in line with 22% in the shipping Company

The proportion of managerial positions held by women in Spain has increased by 1% in twelve months, from 26% in 2016 to 27% in 2017. However, in the Valencian Community the figure is lower, at 18%, according to “Women in business: diverse visions, joint solutions”, a report prepared by the accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton and presented yesterday in Valencia.

This statistic confirms that Boluda Corporación Marítima is at the forefront in the representation of women in senior management, placing “women in 22% of executive roles”, according to Boluda Cargo Int’l manager Eva Garcia Bosch during the round table she attended as a representative of the company.

Germán Rodrigo, partner at Grant Thornton, Isabel Cosme, manager of Presen Rodríguez Atelier and Blackcape and CEO of Cecoval, and Claudia Peris, creator and manager of Espacio Mar de Avellanas, also participated in the debate, entitled “Women in top management: diverse visions, joint solutions”.

Addressing this issue the manager of Boluda Cargo Int’l, the Boluda Lines division responsible in Boluda Corporación Marítima for freight transport over land, sea and air, commented on “the importance of empowering women and their being able to say: I want it, I’m important, I can do it”.

This meeting took place in the Palau Boïl d’Arenós and the opening session was attended by Clara Ferrando, secretary of the Generalitat regional treasury, Coral Ariño, secretary general of the Valencian association of businesspeople and professionals (EVAP), Fernando Baroja, a partner at Grant Thornton, and the director general of the Financial and Stock Market Studies Foundation, Isabel Giménez. They all concur in that although the recruitment of women to high ranking positions has advanced considerably, the trend is losing steam and there is still much to be done.

Report

The report, based on a survey of more than 5,000 executives from 36 countries, shows that Spain is moving “very slowly” to increase the number of women in senior management positions, although in the last 10 years female presence in  upper management has risen by 10%.

Grant Thornton partner Isabel Perea warned that at the current pace, equality would not be achieved until 20 years from now. In her view, this slowdown is a consequence of diversity fatigue, where most company managers think that “the work is already done” and they have taken “enough steps” to encourage a higher percentage of women in top board positions.

Regarding the main barriers to women’s access to managerial jobs, respondents agreed on four of the five main obstacles: for 83% of women childcare and family pressures are what most discourage them from choosing a managerial career.

In addition, 83% of managers consider that business culture is predominantly male-dominated, discriminatory and unappealing to women. For 79% the problem is the lack of support structures, 67% point to gender biases and 54% see the wage gap as a barrier.

Solutions

Regarding the measures that should be taken to favour women’s access to management, 87% of respondents would encourage flexible working hours and 90% would try to facilitate work-life balance. 

On this last point, there is a clear need to redefine the concept of “work-life balance” so that it is not linked exclusively to women. “If the responsibility is not shared, in the end the woman does not find a balance, but is simply juggling her work in the office and the work she has at home”, concluded Boluda Cargo Int’l director, Eva García Bosch.

Boluda Cargo Int’l manager, Eva García Bosch, speaking in Valencia in a debate about the number of women in senior management positions.