Women have this power and responsibility

The skeptics will be for their expenses. 800 participants and participants from 60 different countries for the second edition of the Women's Forum, against 500 in 2005. Even men have come this year more spontaneously and more, 20 of the total, among them iconic patterns to mark their commitment to the cause of diversity. Opportunism and sense of marketing or real necessity felt to move the lines in the companies Too early to say. But, pragmatically, the women here present is celebrating commensurate with their expectations. Because the road seems long to parity.

The caricature of "women preferred meeting in Deauville", the Women's Forum is international. A place for meetings and exchanges between women who came to testify of their fighting, their commitments in politics, in economy or in civil society.

The theme this year "The responsibility of women", 700 participants committed, packages by hand and badgées as it should, have demonstrated that they are only secret agents of modernity.

The responsibility of the renewal

"We have taken the place of God." Monique Canto-Sperber, the Director of the Ecole normale supérieure, open debates and summarized the radical mutation which part responsibility within a framework centred with action centres scattered from States to NGOs from the humblest shares. "We are now responsible for climate change, responsible for all those who will die, what we do and what we see," she says.

In this new world, women have a responsibility to the renewal of the tasks and ideas. To combat the standardization of the spirits and make the world a less bad. Commit and Act, but also raise awareness... As fronts!

For Laura Liswood, responsible for diversity at Goldman Sachs, do not forget: "men can also be heroes." Beyond this preamble, this pioneer in co-education considers that the responsibility of women is to initiate change, to be in the avant-garde of the mutations in organizations and society. "Women are like snowflakes." Only, based on the keypad. But millions of them may block traffic.

Hidden crisis

Duo of shock. Christine Ockrent and Thérèse Delpech, researcher at the Ceri (Centre for studies and Research International), animate the workshop of geopolitics with brilliance and passion. Terrifying is the analysis of the hidden crises where crystallize the real risks of profound destabilization, inciting "a lesson of modesty when it comes to predictions", according to Thérèse Delpech, in the eyes of the world was faced with three surprises: the end of the USSR, the Pakistani nuclear tests, on 11 September.

And explain the factors which feed on these crises: the demography of emerging countries. energy with the rise of country "voracious" as China and the India; Finally water, rare commodity not accessible to a third of the inhabitants of the planet. For this specialist, other surprises are waiting for coming from South America, where the strong man is now the President Chavez, very underestimated in Europe, the radicalization and the oil money. And especially the privatization of violence to be "with us for a long time."

Two interventions in the form of address and evidence reminded the participants that they are in the women's Forum. An Israeli and a Lebanese stand to urge women to be United against terrorism and violence: "Allow coexistence and peace." Women have this power and responsibility.

Quotas: semantics

60/40. Such are the results of the vote in hands of the room for quotas. To discuss this theme, Nicole Notat, President of the ethical rating agency Vigeo, explains that it is not to be "the tree that hides the forest." Then at the head of the CFDT, it had introduced quotas debates and controversies: seats have been reserved for women and otherwise kept vacant to empower the organization. For her, quotas are a measure "useful and necessary, but not the only one.". "Not a magical weapon. They must be refused if they involve a "mathematical and systematic gender, a simple percentage representation."

Besides, a Malaysian has just defend and present the Norwegian experience of quotas. A it only already the expression of diversity! "It works there, why not elsewhere".

Representative Executive Total, explains that Yves without Louis Darricarrère, a member is fact. And that increasingly it is not enough to let every decision maker in charge of diversity in his mirror. "Diversity is one goal like any other business." He is accompanied by action plans and procedures. We organize the competition between the branches because we all reflexes of good students, have we not been programmed to do this ", adds humorous this former mining engineer. As evidence, 16 women today are the top management in Total, with a goal of 25 as soon as possible.

The Director General Europe of the "think tank" Catalyst, Eleanor Tabi HallerJorden, attempts to a summary of the problem: "quotas would not simply a problem of semantics. The word is shudder and stereotypes were the hard tooth. Women reject the humiliation of not be recognized for their skills, while arguing for the existence of facilitators. They approve measures working for an anchor of the promotion of women in the business process and its amplification. They accept and call for policy. Then if the small steps are not enough, spend, at least on a transitional basis by quotas. They will help to initiate the virtuous circle. And recalled the recent study of a group of investors convinced showing that companies who set to music the mix are those where the rate of return on investment is also the best.

Pamper the mother-in-law, keep the enterprise

Break between sessions. The participants are preparing breakfast listening to three women on the choice of career. Of the Anglo-Saxon businesswomen to tell "what women say 20 years...". . Beginning of hubbub, dissipation rises as resistance to a model "too smooth, too standardized," which women do not want.

Late appeal to women from other countries: how it happens elsewhere A Moroccan, first woman in the Kingdom to have created his company in the high-tech, testifies. A puff of Sun and a more human light. She tells how, married young, but already business leader, a much older man, they negotiated "for him that she hear always with his mother-in-law, for it to retain and manage business". Eighteen years that it lasts and society is one of the first in the country.

A retired took the floor, is seen as a case, she said, but "you'll be there all day." It has its place here, the Forum is also a link between all generations. Twenty foreign students invited to the retraitées, pioneer, those who paved the way, passing through the 30s to establish the ideal enterprise of the 21st century project.

For dessert, Thuin Aude, the founding President of the Forum, speaks, retracted anger. She explains, upset, undisciplined and industrial women that the Department of Afghanistan women comes to close and that many African women have obtained permission to come. The Forum, this is also: careers and emotions.

Internet, of course women

Attendance at the workshop entitled "The Internet is an instrument of power for women". A French, two us and an Indian advocate their radically different visions: emerging countries that agree to pay a heavy financial price for access by the Net in the modern world but see it as a tool of progress and openness for women. And that of the industrialized countries where, paradoxically, the Internet can be a network circuit closed.

For all, an observation and almost obvious: women are by nature with the Internet. Design, ease of use, the creation of gateways and curricula. So many features in harmony with their temperament and the need felt for a world of work flexible and less hierarchical.