Prejudices against female managers – only one of many topics at the annual meeting of the Association of German women entrepreneurs in Berlin. The celebrated its 65-year anniversary, German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated.
With a standing ovation, Angela Merkel, was received by about 300 entrepreneurs. “If you want to make it to the end of her chancellorship independently, can you like to be a member,” joked the President of the Association of German women entrepreneurs (VdU), Jasmine Arbabian-Vogel.
In Association 1800 entrepreneurs are organized, have together 500,000 Workers. “Without women, there is no business to do, at least not a successful,” Merkel said, and was pleased that the number of companies increasing start-UPS by women in Germany. Nevertheless, the founders are still in the minority, only about a third of self-employed in Germany are women. “We need more ambition for equality of opportunity”, appealed to the Chancellor – perhaps even to their own government.
The view to Scandinavia
“Women are harder to get access to capital. The tax system is not time in accordance with and on the boards of large German companies, women are still a minority,” says Association boss Arbabian-Vogel in an interview with DW. “We still have enough to, on the way in equality.”
The President is, of course, self-entrepreneur and lead a company with 150 employees in the care sector. “If I want to change something, I need to participate,” she says. Therefore, it is involved in the Association.
VdU-President Jasmine Arbabian-Vogel, in conversation with Manuela Kasper-Claridge
The VdU is this year 65 years old, an anniversary that the women entrepreneurs are very proud of. With the framework conditions in Germany, the women are not happy with it. Eagerly some look to Scandinavia, where the child care is better organized, and children, and enterprise management better agree.
Role models are in demand
Larissa Zeichhardt performs with her sister, a medium-sized company in the transport industry. Their daughters are three and five years old. “Yesterday, a meeting that dragged on for 19:15 and then my husband, who wanted me to hand over the children because he, too, had a service appointment was just another day,” she says. “How do you put the priorities? Finally, the work of the two of us is equivalent to!”
“Role models to motivate” – Larissa Zeichhardt, managing Director of LAT-group
Zeichhardt told that the dates of meetings traditionally take place rather late and wants, that is different. The young entrepreneur is an engineer and has a degree in Economics. After the sudden death of her father, she took together with her sister 2015 the LAT group, the communication and satellite technology among others for the Deutsche Bahn provides.
Professional Expertise and exchange of experience, the estimates on women entrepreneurs Association, in addition, Meetings at which you belongs to the majority. “In my industry, men dominate, but I also need role models,” she says. “Role models motivate.”
Alone among men
All alone Susanne Countess boilers instead of often felt. 25 years ago she was Co-partner of the family business. “Road construction is a wonderful thing,” she says. But it is an industry that almost exclusively men’s work. “Women continue to be put much higher requirements,” she says. “You need to have perseverance.”
“Women need perseverance”, instead says Susanne Countess Boilers
Your company, “J. Friedrich Storz Verkehrswegebau” with its headquarters in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg, was honored this year as an employer. She is particularly proud of. “We have a good working climate and 60 trainees.”
The Meeting in Berlin is using the boiler instead of to the exchange of experience. “Innovation and creativity” is the Motto of the VdU-year meeting. It comes to digitalization and the creative industries, and women-led Start-ups. Plenty of discussion material for the next few days.
Many women use the event, but also to short conversations, away from the rounds of official discussion. The networks for women entrepreneurs is especially important. Larissa Zeichhardt has found as an entrepreneur, your dream job. “If you don’t shy away from responsibility, you have a lot of freedom,” she says excitedly and rushes to the next conversation.