Women's Leadership and SDGs

This panel presented us different worldview from successful women.

Firstly, the moderator, Heidi Cuppari, gives an opportunity to every panelist to present herself.

After the self-presentation she asked a curious question, if the total equality between men and women could help all of us in achieving our personal goals

Cristina Korp, firstly wanted to be a rockstar than changed her life and started working on an astronaut Buzz Aldrin, now see her role to promote the Lunar mission Artemis which is to land first woman on the Moon in 2024. Cristina Corp mentioned that being grown in a family with 10 children (5 boys and 5 girls) she used to do all things like boys do, or better than them. According to her point of view, equality in the family automatically gives girls the same confidence as boys.

Hulya Kurt, having no specific education, with curiosity and hard work climbed the career ladder to the high positions and now has 30-years' experience working for Reuters. She believes in curious and open-minded women, who have empathy and prefer to make informed decisions in difficult situations. The total equality between men and women specially in developing countries may be difficult to achieve, but every step of every woman to achieve economic self-sufficiency practically change the world.

Helen Teplizkaya, growing up in Soviet Union with a librarian education emigrated in USA and changed the area of her interests, founded the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1992. She believes more in process of achieving the goal of the gender equality, than in the result of it. She noted, that "We, women, should not just support technologies, we should remember about feelings, about love, about inspiration, about motivation, we have to be wonderful grandmas". She reminded the audience that "We are to continue being humans and have not to forget that technology is nothing without love and without our fillings".

Adviye Bergemann, has been working since she was 13 years old and struggled with men, which made her strong and successful, laments that there are a few countries, which are leading by women. According to her point of view, it must to be changed.

Gulnara Salimova, started her career in State Planning Committee in Uzbekistan, worked a lot in different corporations than founded Uzbek -Swiss Chamber of Commerce drew attention for more women to be in high-level positions in decision-making. This can balance the world society because women will think 10 times before start the war. Gulnara Salimova reminded the audience that even in Switzerland it is hard to fill half of the leading positions with women because of different reasons. But in developing countries women are talking about surviving, not about leadership. They are treating in their families and they are protesting this treatment, sometimes using dreadful methods, including suicide by self-immolation. The system should be changed, there must be some instruments, allowing women to realize their potential to contribute to the world.

Malak Al Akiely changed her life after her seen the effect of climate changing in the arctic expedition with the Future Talks foundation in 2018. According to her point of view, equal education is necessary for women to be prepared to the ideas of gender equality. And the goal of the gender equality would be achievable only after recognizing and respecting human values by every member of the society.
To continue the discussion the question was raised about the possibility for the person of doing the whole life what he or she wants.

Heidi Cuppari answered that she works with people and helps them to learn how to believe in their dreams.

Christina Korp mentioned that in her traveling with the astronaut people told them that first Lunar steps changed their lives – the impossible dream came true. She underlined, that we need this kind of inspiration, we need something to believe in.

Helen Teplizkaya thinks that we need to learn how to love our job. In Japan people love their jobs. In Russia people like to do what they want to do. She thinks that truth is somewhere between, it is possible to create inspirational conditions in companies – for example, in Sberbank it works.

Hulya Kurt noted, that everyone is his own CEO – Chief Executive Officer and we need to manage ourselves.

To conclude the discussion the moderator asked panelists to say something to or about their children.

Malak Al Akiely said that our children need to grow their own identity, need to learn how to respect each other's, how to be tolerant and open-minded - and help them to redefine these words to themselves every year again and again. We have to ask children if their moral compass lead them to solving global problems. Everybody needs to work on his own value.

Gulnara Salimova thinks that we must help children to understand, what kind of passion do they have and where to realize it. The society could facility that process, we can encourage them to create that 'can do' attitude, which is particularly important to the leader.

Adviye Bergemann told a story about her daughters and noted, that talking about equality we should talk about individuals, not about the gender.

Helen Teplizkaya believes in equality between people, but in equality of rights.

Hulya Kurt noted that for our children's happy life we must be grateful to all that we have, be respectful and mostly non-judgmental.

Christina Korp mentioned that this year is 100 hundred years of women vote rights in USA. And women become stronger when they are together.

In her final speech Heidi Cuppari advised the audience not to use the word 'but', during listening for people's ideas and not use the word 'should' talking about things which have to inspire us.