EQUALPOWER • 2018 / ISSUE 6 •
eMagazine for equality and diversity
MACEDONIA, SLOVENIA, EUROPE
EQUALPOWER CHIEF-EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
mag. Natalie C. Postružnik Dejan Andonov
EDITOR
Nina Klančnik, Martina Špiljak
EDITOR
Danaja Postružnik
DESIGN
Gorazd Postružnik
eMagazin is part of the activities and tools, conducted within the project Equal Power to the Women by Izida Vita, Slovenia in cooperation with Institute of Communication Studies, Macedonia en.izidavita.si, gorazd@izidavita.si Cover photo: Amadeja Mlakar Project Equal Power to the Women is partially financed by the Ministry of foreign affairs of Republic of Slovenia Disclaimer: The content of the eMagazine represents the opinions of the authors and is not the official position of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
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PERSONAL VIEW KORALJKA MLAKAR:
YOU CAN NOT (AND DID NOT) DO IT ALONE
Koraljka Mlakar
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MALALA FUND
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WORLDWIDE FACTS ABOUT GENDER INEQUALITY
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SUCCESS STORY MAG. OLIVERA MIOVSKA: FROM AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER TO A LEADER IN ROAD TRANSPORT IN THE BALKANS
mag. Ana Petrovska
mag. Olivera Miovska
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INFOGRAPHICS ON GENDER INEQUALITY, MACEDONIA
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MAG. ANA PETROVSKA:
REFUSE TO BE SUBMISSIVE AND SILENT
NISI IN NE ZMOREŠ VSEGA SAM(A) NA L
Koraljka Mlakar
SO PE R VIEW
Koraljka Mlakar is employed by Nestle Adriatic on the position of Business Executive Officer Infant Nutrition & Health Care Business heading cluster of Adriatic countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro) and Greece, Cyprus and Albania. In her spare time she joins her family in enjoying active and healthy sports life; among others she is a passionate runner having run many half marathons.
Mahatma Gandhi was believed to have said: „No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” Exclusivity grows exclusion, while inclusion fosters belonging and connection. As companies establish, sustain or change their culture, it is crucial to ensure that inclusion makes part of the overall strategic plan. Sequentially, INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP became a popular topic in recent years.
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So, why the new type of leadership? The answer lies with the fact that the context is incessantly changing, requiring adaptation of those playing a leading role, us, Leaders. The four global mega trends that are reshaping the environment, influencing business priorities and forcing leaders to adapt to it are: diversity of markets, diversity of customers, consumers’ trends and talents. The later, diversity of talents, is in conjunction with shifts in age profiles and education, along with expectations of equality of opportunity and work/life balance. It has an impact on employee population. Inclusive leaders are hesitant to initiating the change and are more comfortable with changes that will minimize the tension and uncertainty. They prefer to be cautious. Their self need for status and self achievement is lower comparing to other types of leaders. They might be competitive, but not from a need to be on the top of it but want to see their group succeeds. But among many characteristics there is one that is very specific for this so called new wave of leadership which I personally value the most - it is You Can Not (And Did Not) Do It Alone.
It is never about yourself Some years ago, I had a great privilege of having reporting to an extraordinary line manager in Nestle Head Office in Switzerland. In every occasion, on every meeting, she was accentuating the importance of her team and contribution of each single member to the final outcome. It was never about herself nor about her ideas nor her work done not her final result… but about the work and results of Infant Nutrition as a team. She was encouraging celebration of small wins of the team and its members and that way recognizing given efforts for something to be accomplished. She was acknowledging even the poorly – conceived idea as the attempt to encourage better ones. At that time, I was solely heading the business in Adriatic, and this approach was a “new window” of a leadership to me. I was sincerely impressed with the positivity and enthusiasm she was spreading to the audience. She motivated me, and I am sure all my
colleagues, to invest even more of my energy and passion to further challenges and achievements. And above all, she inspired me to grow further as a leader… to become like her. These are the characteristics of the inclusive leader, which I found in the literature later on. I was privileged to learn from her, earlier than this new type of leadership was arousing in Adriatic region. Authenticity as the corner stone Being to some extent introvert, I am a type of person who needs to comprehend and connect the facts before accepting or adopting it. Once, I was present to some presentation with a leader who kept saying reassuring statements all the while shaking his head no. I was more focused on his negating gesture than on his words. It is very much truth that leader’s emotions and words are scrutinized for meaning from his or her followers. A leader displaying negative emotions will cause additional stress among his or her colleagues and collaborators. Au contraire, people respond positively to the authentic expression of positive emotions. A leader showing passion for the job, for the organization and for the people involved may rally others. Showing positive emotions such as excitement and enthusiasm for the project or happiness over someone’s good work and success are very much valued and motivating people. It is not just another buzz word! But business, like the private life, is not a pure fairy tale and like we all know work may be the only place you regularly have to get along with people you might not otherwise choose to interact with. In those situations, one of the reasons why being an inclusive leader is very important. If a leader is not setting the example to the team and creating inclusive team spirit it is very possible the employees to become exclusive, what can have bad impact on the productivity and overall working atmosphere.
If I may be honest I would say that in our, Adriatic region, still “inclusion” gets brought up by companies as a check-the-box exercise in political correctness and overall surface achievements of given targets. Of course it cannot be generalized and much depends on the leadership and the type of the company. From my personal working experience in a multinational, I can say that inclusivity is in the core of business principles and values. At the same time I do not dare to say that is the case in the overall market. It is hard to evaluate the level of inclusivity geographically wise and be correct in the judgement but I would say that the inclusivity is proportionally progressing with the country development. When we break down the definition of Inclusion – T. Hudson Jordan defines it as “…creating an environment of involvement, respect, and connection- where the richness of ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are harnessed to create business value” – it seems strange that it is considered a “buzzword” and not a policy accepted at organizations global wide.
“Ingredients” of an inclusive leader The following five moves that I found in the literature are a good place to start, to become a better inclusive leader: 1. Recognize your unconscious bias and be humble about it – give efforts to understand your own unconscious bias about what you assume about others. 2. Make the unwritten rules obvious – cultural norms that every group and organization have to be written and publicly known to each member. If they are treated as understood it could pose an issue for new team members and people joining to international teams from different cultures or backgrounds. 3. Don’t overlook the “Small” stuff – in case you witness someone being rude or dismissive to someone else, call it out. Do not focus on finding fault, but stating what you notice and suggesting alternatives that include everyone. 4. Understand the advantages you’re born with – each person’s gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, physical ability… afford them different level of access and privilege. Inclusive leaders should recognize that members of their team have different considerations and approaching the situations differently. For me, as a leader, it was the biggest challenge and took the most time to understand and accept that “my view” on the situation is not necessary “everybody else’s view” and definitely not the best one. 5. Believe that people are created equal, but not the same – being able to notice and talks about difference without making anyone feel objectified or singled-out. As the outcome of my observations over the years I state that managers are more successful when they see the unique qualities of each individual of the team.
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B A R C E L O N A
E D I T I O N
Malala Fund Malala Fund breaks down the barriers preventing more than 130 million girls around the world from going to school. Malala is fighting to give back to girls what poverty, war and discrimination tried to take away. You can donate to help give all girls the opportunity to learn and lead. Malala and Ziauddin Yousafzai founded Malala Fund in 2013 to champion every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. Malala Fund works in regions where the most girls miss out on secondary education. Our priority countries are Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. Investing in local education activists Through our Gulmakai Network, we invest in local educators and advocates — the people who best understand girls in their communities — in regions where the most girls are missing out on secondary school. Advocating to hold leaders accountable Malala Fund advocates — at local, national and international levels — for resources and policy changes needed to give all girls a secondary education. The girls they serve have high goals for themselves — and they have high expectations for leaders who can help them. Amplifying girls’ voices They believe girls should speak for themselves and tell leaders what they need to learn and achieve their potential. They amplify girls’ voices and share their stories through Assembly, our digital publication and newsletter.
Več: https://www.malala.org/ EQUALPOWER
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Worldwide facts about gender E X P L O R E | B A R C E L O N A inequality
E D I T I O N
1. In 2016, just 57 percent world's working-age women are in the labor force, compared to 70 percent of working-age men. Microlending programs like Kiva help women start and sustain their own businesses. (Department of Labor) 2. Women with full-time jobs still earn only about 77 percent of their male counterparts' earnings. 3. African-American women earn 64 cents and Latina women earn 56 cents for every dollar earned by a Caucasian man. Lean In offers resources for negotiation in the workplace. (White House) 4. 62 million girls are denied an education all over the world, and former First Lady Michelle Obama started shining a light on this issue through her Let Girls Learn initiative in 2015. #UpForSchool wants to continue to fight to change that. Sign their petition here. (UN Foundation; 62 Million Girls) 5. Every year, an estimated 15 million girls under 18 are married worldwide, with little or no say in the matter. Girls Not Brides studies the problem and is working to find workable solutions. They know that education and empowerment for girls are the first steps. You can help by sharing the facts or donating to projects making a difference. 6. 4 out of 5 victims of human trafficking are girls. The Malala Fund raises awareness and funds for girls to get out of this cycle and into school. (Malala Fund)
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Извор: Forbes
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FROM AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER TO A LEADER IN ROAD TRANSPORT IN THE BALKANS OLIVERA
AT
MIOVSKA,
MAKEDONIJA
M.SC.,
MANAGER
SOOBRAKAJ
AMERIT
ESS C C SU RY STO
FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER OLIVERA MIOVSKA IS NOW A SUCCESSFUL MANAGER IN A TRANSPORT COMPANY. ALTHOUGH, STEREOTYPICALLY, WORKING AS AN EDUCATOR IS CONSIDERED MORE APPROPRIATE FOR WOMEN, SHE SAYS SHE LOVED THE WORK; HOWEVER IT DID NOT SUIT HER CHARACTER. HENCE, SHE REPLACED PARENT-TEACHER MEETINGS
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meetings with a different kind of meetings – truck transport meetings at which she manages timely and high-quality transport of goods. In 2004, she started working for Makedonija Soobrakaj AMERIT, which is an Association of Macedonian Enterprises for International Road Transport, starting off as an assistant, whose main tasks were translation of documents and international communication. But during the 14 years of work in this company, with a lot of effort and results she climbed several steps on the ladder - she became an advisor to the manager, and now she is the manager of the department for international road and freight transport. "I live with the motto and the good message of the great author Rumi: ‘When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.’ It is precisely how I feel in my profession," Miovska said.
Although many consider truck transport a "male" profession, it is interesting that stereotypes are being overcome in Macedonia.
Miovska said that very often women are the ones who make major decisions in transportation at managerial level meetings. According to her, in the modern world there is an increased awareness that a greater role of women in management is an essential prerequisite for creating a fair and inclusive society. "A woman is like a tea bag, you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water," she quoted Eleanor Roosevelt as she drank from her cup of tea, and then continued: "In today’s world there should not be any male or female professions, instead there should be professionals who deserve to be where they are. Men and women can be equally effective leaders. It is not gender that makes a leader better than another." She attended several trainings in her professional development and apart from education, for her it is very important to learn from other people, from their experience, and she is happy that she had good mentors for training and learning in his profession.
"If you want a career, professional enhancement is very important. Any amount of funds you spend on knowledge is the right way to invest in yourself. You need to believe in yourself, invest in yourself, find inspiration in others and be an inspiration to others. If a candle sets another candle alight, it will not burn any less brightly. Do not be afraid to come forth with your ideas, after all, we do have that 'female intuition' that rarely fails us," Miovska said. According to her, in order to achieve this, one must have built a solid
Author: ICS
character and great selfconfidence.
"I am a person who constantly sets challenges in life, both in my career and in my private life. Ambition, motivation, creativity, determination and perseverance all of these features are interconnected. Ambition is nothing without motivation, creativity helps in finding solutions that lead to determination, but perseverance is the one that leads to success," is the recommendation that she gave to other women.
Miovska said that her profession is a symbiosis between two contrasting segments – work that includes frequent travelling. She is a mother and wife and she is happy for the tremendous support she gets from her family.
"If you enjoy life outside your work, you will be better at your work," is Miovska's recipe to being an outstanding professional, but also to having a happy marriage and being a good mother.
INFOGRAPHICS ON GENDER INEQUALITY
MACEDONIA
Author: Haris Muratagoć at Doba Faculty, senior lecturer Natalie C. Postružnik
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REFUSE TO BE SUBMISSIVE AND SILENT Ana Petrovska, M.Sc., Professor at OU “Gjorgjija Pulevski” Aerodrom
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Ana Petrovska, M.Sc.,
Professor at OU “Gjorgjija Pulevski� Aerodrom
Women should have equal rights to human, social, economic and cultural development, as well as equal voting rights in social and political life. Equal opportunities for women and men. No barriers to economic, political and social participation based on gender. This means promoting the principle of introducing equal participation of women and men in all areas of the public and private sector, equal status, equal treatment in the exercise of all rights and in the development of their individual potentials through which they contribute to social development as well as equal benefits from the results derived from that development.
Gender inequality is not taken seriously in Macedonia. The fact that laws do not have discriminatory norms is perceived as proof that discrimination does not exist and that full equality is achieved. It is true that women have more rights today than in the entire history of humankind, but the differences between men and women remain at a very high level in areas such as employment, economy, and political participation. Also, not all areas provide easy access to services nor do they provide the prerequisites for women, for example health care services, access to kindergartens, housing facilities for the elderly, and the level of investment in programs related to gender equality for the time being remains very low.
Claudia de Castro Caldeirinha
This situation cannot be remedied on its own, we can not expect self-initiative out of the blue nor can we expect for people to suddenly change their deeply rooted stereotypes and prejudice.
In order for things to change, conscious top-down action is required, action that will change the imbalance in the position of women and men. Measures and activities need to be undertaken in accordance with the existing social and political circumstances, the progress achieved and further challenges for the establishment of equality of men and women.
Many of the women in our country still have the status of "dependent" persons and they cannot achieve their full potential outside the family, there are still problems in the social awareness on the basis of gender, it even exists with women themselves, more specifically those for whom the traditional role is deeply instilled. It is precisely these reasons that should be our guidelines for future actions. We should aim at building and strengthening self-esteem, determination, perseverance and thoroughness among women; they should be integrated in all areas of society. It is sad that woman cannot move forward, and society as a whole cannot achieve progress, just because of certain traditional unjustifiable attitudes. But in our country there are women who achieve success every day, without drawing too much attention to themselves. They tackle different challenges and fight standing up. One such experience was my own, in dealing with the elementary disaster - the August 2016 flood in Stajkovci, in which the school where I was director was affected. I was also the only woman member of the crisis headquarters in Stajkovci who was under the leadership of the military.
On the night of the catastrophic flooding, I tried to contact all the employees who live in that area, as well as the others who contacted all the students who could be reached, because it was difficult to establish communication and provide first aid. The next day we went to the school, all of the employees who were available at that time came to provide their assistance, and all were women. The only goal at that moment was to help our colleagues, students and locals. We once again tried to come into contact with all the employees who were affected by the flood and to provide assistance. We divided into teams and we helped our colleagues on the field who needed help, as well as the residents of Stajkovci and Stracinci. The second day after the flood, the army came as well as scouts from across Europe who helped us clear the mud, wash and disinfect the ground floor school premises where the crisis headquarters was located, on the ground floor of the school as well as in the school yard.
Claudia de Castro Caldeirinha
The school premises were used as sleeping quarters for the soldiers on-site; a medical aid and health safety station with a 24-7 pharmacy and a storage area for the necessary products. The products were distributed to peoples’ homes in cooperation with the Center for Labor and Social Policy, the municipality, the local community, the military and volunteers who came from all sides to help. I mobilized my colleagues, formed teams that were coordinated by women. We directly helped families in need of physical assistance, regardless of the fact that most of the team members were women, who are also wives and most of them are also mothers. We worked shoulder to shoulder with the men and the military, in two groups in two shifts, with a coordinator and sub-coordinators with different tasks. The desire to help the victims unreservedly, by putting in our best efforts day-to-day, with great dedication, helped us complete the tasks we set for ourselves, overcome challenges and start the school year in time, all in the interests of our pupils. In coping with this challenge, we have proven that regardless of the fact that we are women, we can deal with the situations and challenges with equal responsibility, commitment and bravery and we can respond adequately to the assigned tasks, but above all, we showed a positive example of humanity and solidarity, helping out when someone is in need. We women, whether young or old, regardless of race, nation and ethnicity, be it housewives, with or without a job, educated or uneducated, should always be authentic. Let's accept ourselves as we are, without the need to change as the environment demands it. Let’s support each other, refuse to be what we are not and refuse to be submissive and silent. Let's fight for our equality and equal opportunities and still be true to ourselves in what we do. Let’s advocate for what we believe in and stand firmly behind it. Let’s fight for the eradication of the violation of the dignity and human rights of women by taking effective action. Let’s act to raise public awareness of gender stereotypes in all areas of life, including public and political life and foster a positive portrayal of women and girls as leaders and decision-makers at all levels and in all areas, in order to achieve an equal division of responsibilities between women and men. This is the only way to achieve happiness and success.
eMagazine for equality and diversity MAKEDONIJA, SLOVENIJA, EVROPA