MUNA+ in Milano –
Keynote speech at the JEComm Conference 2022
Summary
February 2022 was particularly exciting for MUNA+. Matteo, Carrie and Johanna traveled to Milan, Italy, to give a presentation on diversity, equity and inclusion in companies. This was not only the first international attendance outside of Germany for MUNA+, but also the first time we changed roles: from event host to expert. Focusing on gender equality in business in the theme of SDG #5 Gender Equality, Matteo and Johanna shared their experiences on this collected during university and professional careers so far. Underpinned with knowledge on the Sustainable Development Goals and current statistics, a value-creating and stimulating discussion with the other students emerged. Of course, the three rewarded themselves with an Italian aperitivo and a city stroll in the wonderful city of Milan.
MUNA+ considers the event a great step for the association and a full success. We thank JEComm for the invitation and look forward to continue working together for sustainability in the future. You can find more information about JEComm on our Partner & Network page.
Impulses
These four impulses can be taken away from our keynote presentation.
Making diversity measurable
Peter Drucker’s well-known phrase “You can’t improve what you don’t measure” hits the nail on the head: if you can’t measure and evaluate data on diversity, you don’t know where you stand. Key performance indicators (KPIs) help here – also to measure the effect of measures that have been introduced.
Avoid cognitive bias
Everyone has a variety of (conscious and unconscious) biases and stereotypes in their thought patterns. It is important that these do not (consciously or unconsciously) influence decisions and thus favor individual genders. Training and education can help raise awareness and have a preventive effect.
Develop career paths for women
It is still more difficult for women to take career steps in the same order and at the same speed as their male colleagues. The reasons for this are many, the obvious one being: women also still have to accompany the future generation of earth citizens into the world. Models like co-leadership and job sharing can allow flexibility in career path planning here. By the way, MUNA+ has had very good experiences with co-leadership since day 1.
Use gender neutral language
Even the little things count. The masculine form of gender-dependent words is often still present in the German language. Using gender-independent wording helps to address all gender groups equally. A side effect: in the current shortage of skilled workers, most companies cannot afford to exclude almost half of the talent on paper.
