• CEPES and all its associative fabric defends equal rights and the elimination of any type of discrimination and violence.
• According to the 'Study on the socioeconomic impact of the values and principles of Social Economy companies in Spain' prepared by CEPES, almost half of the positions in the Social Economy are occupied by women.
• Likewise, said Study reveals that the presence of women in managerial positions is almost 60% and shows that the gender pay gap is 'markedly' inferior to other business models.
• Women are widely present in all CEPES partner entities with projects and initiatives that promote equality in companies, in rural areas in the fisheries sector, and offer employment opportunities to working women with disabilities or with some exclusion problem Social.
Madrid, March 8, 2020.- The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES) has shown its strong commitment to the promotion of equality and women's rights, highlighting the important role of the Social Economy as a business formula to promote equality and as an example that work parity can be real, on the occasion of the International Women's Day celebrated on Sunday, March 8. Similarly, CEPES shows all its rejection of any situation of violence or discrimination.
This is what CEPES assures after completing the study on the ' socio-economic impact of the values and principles of the Social Economy in Spain ', which empirically demonstrates the differential behavior of Social Economy companies with respect to other existing business models. The study confirms with official sources that the behavior of companies and entities of the Social Economy translates into “more inclusive” economic growth and the reduction of inequalities, which affects the configuration of its workforce and working conditions .
The study shows that it is possible to achieve parity in companies, since the data indicate that 48% of the contracts that are made in Social Economy companies are women. That is, almost half of the positions in the Social Economy are held by women . In addition, it shows that companies and entities in this area are more diverse in management and in high qualification from a gender point of view. This statement is due to the fact that the presence of women in management positions is 58.1%, compared to 51.2% in the mercantile companies of the control group.
Likewise, the Social Economy not only promotes equal opportunities and access to management positions, it also does so in the gender pay gap. In this sense, the study data highlight that the gender pay gap in this area is "remarkably" less than those in other models. In the Social Economy, women who work full-time charge, on average, 6% less than men while in other business models companies this percentage is 20% . Given this situation, CEPES ensures that it will continue working so that this wage gap does not exist.
CEPES Working Group on Women
CEPES will strengthen its Working Group on Women during 2020, with which to promote and make visible the work carried out by the Social Economy, an economic model that actively contributes to achieving - both in Spain and the rest of the world - the Sustainable Development Goal ( SDG # 5) that promotes “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”.
Some of the data, initiatives and projects of CEPES partners highlighted by the Working Group on Women in relation to the Spanish Social Economy are:
• Women workers in rural areas . In Spain it hasand almost a quarter of a million women (243,431) members in agri-food cooperatives that contribute to sustainability in its three economic, social and environmental aspects of the rural territory.
In this sector, the Association of Women of Agrifood Cooperatives of Spain , AMCAE, promotes the participation of women in the decision-making areas of cooperatives. In this way, in five years it has gone from 3.5% of women present in the governing councils of cooperatives to 6.5%. AMCAE organized in 2019 a total of 9 days in several Autonomous Communities in which about 300 women participated, which are intended to empower, train, and transfer knowledge for decision-making, lead responsibility tasks and new business fields .
• Women Workers in cooperatives . Gender equality is inherent to cooperativism. Cooperatives have meant the way to access the world of work of a large number of women, who, in addition, through this model have become entrepreneurs. The work cooperative is a good example of a company created by the same people who work it, invested by them, with democratic governance, which acts in accordance with the principles of equity, social cohesion and sustainability.
Since 1987, the Spanish Confederation of Associated Labor Cooperatives (COCETA) has opened a line of work. Cooperative work has opened a line of work, specifically to promote the cooperative model and its good practices among women. Various activities have been carried out during these years, including research to learn about the work, personal and social reality of women in labor cooperatives. The latest data indicate that women are more than 50% of the people who form the Work Cooperatives, with a high level of education (70% have university studies), that there has been an increase of 15 percentage points in the number of women in management and command positions standing at 54%; that they feel reconciled by 60%; 51% of the Work Cooperatives have an Equality Plan and 34% of them have a "protocol of action against harassment".
All these data allow us to verify the progress achieved, which does not imply that we continue to stimulate actions so that a greater number of women, both in urban and rural areas, know the Labor Cooperative model.
Within AndalucíaEscoop there are two very active entities that work for the benefit of equality. Amecoop and Amcae Andalucía represent women cooperative workers and in the agri-food sector, respectively, and are responsible for promoting equal opportunities in the Andalusian cooperative sector, working for the integration of women in cooperatives, as well as in their decision bodies
• Women with disabilities. In the Special Employment Centers of Social Initiative, almost 40% of the workforce are women with disabilities, with 55% being women with disabilities over 45 years.
Through the Spanish Business Federation of Associations of Special Employment Centers (FEACEM) and the associative entities that represent disability, the access of women with disabilities to the labor market is promoted on equal terms with respect to men; and actively strives to eradicate the double discrimination that women with disabilities continue to suffer when they enter the labor market, because they are women and have a disability and against job insecurity and the wage gap they suffer with greater intensity Women with disabilities.
• Women in labor societies. 35% of the members of labor societies are women, according to Laborpar . At the regional level, there are several projects aimed at empowering women in these societies, encouraging their incorporation in the decision-making bodies of their companies where their contribution is invaluable.
As entities of the Economía Social, Labor Societies contribute to stable and quality employment, with more than 70% of the permanent workforce, 45% older than five years and 35% of young people.
• Women in Insertion Companies. Through the Federation of Business Associations of Insertion Companies (FAEDEI) employment is generated for 7,154 people, of which 47% (3,424) are women. Of these, 1,957 are women workers in insertion and 1,467 occupy professional positions, both technical and managerial. In addition, 67% of the Insertion Companies have measures for equal opportunities and 81% have measures to reconcile family and work life.
• Women in Fishermen's Guilds. In recent years, the role of women in the fisheries sector is increasingly relevant, for this reason the National Federation of Fishermen's Guilds has created an ad-hoc group of Women formed by senior employers, senior vice-patrons, secretaries, as well as associated to the Brotherhoods and its objective is to give visibility to women in the Fishermen's Associations and Federations.
Currently, in the 198 brotherhoods, 27,197 sailors and shipowners are affiliated, of which 1.5% are women on board fishing vessels under 10 GRT. In relation to shellfish, which is also included in the Brotherhoods, there are 4,071 shellfish, of which 2,703 are women, representing 62.8% in the shellfish sector. On the other hand, the presence of women is also important in the processing sector (canning factories, etc.), which amounts to 65.1%, in the aquaculture sector, to 27.1%; and 650 showers.
In addition, CEPES, in the field of Development Cooperation and through its associative fabric, promotes and fosters equality within development cooperation projects. In the countries of Latin America, Morocco or Mauritania, the establishment of cooperatives for women's associated work has been promoted, generating wealth and entrepreneurial fabric in these regions.
International Cooperative Alliance
CEPES adheres to the statement issued by the International Cooperative Alliance 'Cooperatives can be the tool to reduce the socio-economic injustices faced by women!', On the occasion of March 8.
The Alliance recalls that “gender equality and women's empowerment are challenges both within cooperatives and in the countries in which they operate. Multiple barriers impose limitations on women, impeding their access to opportunities, often resulting in legal restrictions that institutionalize the marginalization of women. ” Therefore, he claims that "removing barriers that frustrate gender equality is a fundamental objective for cooperative action and a key priority for the International Cooperative Alliance and its member organizations."
Also, remember that when women establish or join cooperatives, they carry out innovative work activities, earning higher incomes and increasing their business performance and competitiveness. Joining cooperatives increases their decision-making at home and improves their participation and empowerment in community affairs, given that cooperatives, as companies focused on people, focus on inclusive employment that allows a large number of women who suffer multifaceted inequalities.
UN: I am from the Equality Generation
On the other hand, CEPES applauds the UN manifesto that this year is called “I am of the Generation Equality: For the rights of women”, following the steps of the UN Women campaign with the same name (Generation Equality) and that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), the most progressive roadmap for the empowerment of women and girls worldwide.
In addition, this year will also celebrate other significant achievements for the Organization, such as the 10th anniversaryAryan of the creation of UN Women, among others. The consensus that is emerging worldwide is that, despite some progress, real change has been desperately slow for most women and girls in the world. As of today, no country can claim that it has achieved gender equality. There are a number of obstacles that remain unchanged. Women and girls remain undervalued; they work more, earn less and have fewer options; and suffer multiple forms of violence in the home and in public spaces. In addition, there is a significant threat of reversal of feminist achievements that cost so much effort to achieve.
The year 2020 represents an exceptional opportunity to mobilize global action with a view to achieving gender equality and the realization of the human rights of all women and girls.
History of Women's Day
International Women 's Day is a date celebrated in many countries of the world. When women from all continents, often separated by national borders and ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their day, they can contemplate a tradition of no less than ninety years of struggle for equality , justice, peace and development.
According to the United Nations , International Women's Day refers to ordinary women as architects of history and has its roots in the plurisecular struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. Celebrated by the United Nations since 1975 and proclaimed by the Assembly in 1977, International Women's Day finds its origins in the manifestations of women who, especially in Europe, claimed at the beginning of the 20th century the right to vote, better conditions of Work and gender equality.
