If you want to be a good leader, you should listen! This is the piece of advice that H.E. Andrea Wiktorin, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia shared with the young ladies at the “Women in Leadership: Perks and Challenges” panel discussion. The event was organised by the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia and was dedicated to the International Women’s Day 2021.
What are the opportunities and challenges for women in leadership roles? What are the winning recipes for overcoming these challenges, excelling in careers while maintaining the work-life balance? The event brought together H.E. Andrea Wiktorin, H.E. Inga Stanytė-Toločkienė, Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to Armenia, Mihaela Stojkoska, UNDP Resident Representative, a.i. and Diana Gasparyan, Mayor of Etchmiadzin as panelists. The speakers offered valuable insights for personal and professional growth by sharing life lessons on how to have your voice heard, how to overcome moments of weakness, draw knowledge from failures and become more resilient and successful women.
“Women in Leadership: Perks and Challenges” panel discussion
Leadership roles have long been dominated by men and it has therefore been quite challenging for women to step into this realm of unexplored possibilities and learn to navigate their careers. Though women comprise more than half of the population in Armenia and many of them have higher education, their representation in decision-making remains low.
The EU has been continuously putting efforts into strengthening and improving gender equality in Armenia by reducing sex-selective abortion rates, preventing gender-based violence, and supporting the political and economic empowerment of girls and women. The EU support has been instrumental in creating more opportunities for women in entrepreneurship, education, agriculture and other sectors. In 2019, the European Union disbursed €18.3 million to support a total of nearly 8,330 SMEs in Armenia, a third of which are owned by women. Women in Business is one of the many projects through which the EU has been fostering women’s entrepreneurship in Armenia. Implemented by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the project provided business advice, training and mentoring to women-led companies, as well as credit lines provided through local banks. More than 2,500 women benefitted from consultancy services, turnover among supported companies rose by almost €36 million, and 1,592 new jobs were created as a result of the support.
“Flexibility, listening to people and learning from experts are essential for becoming a leader.” This was the concluding remark that H.E. Andrea Wiktorin shared with the young ladies at the “Women in Leadership: Perks and Challenges” discussion while instilling confidence and the need for perseverance for their career endeavors.
H.E. Andrea Wiktorin, Ambassador, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia
