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Girl power from Ghana to Iceland

When Women Leaders Global Forum extraordinary women from all over the world. But, a new Index shows that there is to do in the case of the perception of women in leadership positions.

Sarah Adwoa Safo

“My father was the first Feminist I ever met.” Sarah Adwoa Safo (article image) radiates over the whole face, as she says that. The 37-Year-old is a member of the government of Ghana and the Minister for public procurement. The studied lawyer tells how her father, a preacher, brought them early to be talking in front of large groups in the municipality. “Fright, I don’t know,” she says, and is convinced that her father has laid the Foundation for her professional and political success.

New opportunities for girls

However, not everyone has as much luck with his family. Therefore, a good education is so important for girls, she says in an interview with DW: “This year 120,000 students go to a secondary school, because they are in Ghana now for free. This gives girls new opportunities”.

Before the fee exemption, a family in the West African country had to pay an average of 1000 to 1200 US dollars per Senior year in High School, and a child. For many families, it was too expensive, and when money was scarce, it was often enables the young to the training. The changes now. Because the Ghanaian students must only consist of the admission exam, then you can visit the higher school.

“60 percent of our currently adopted budget in the education and training”, telling the Minister, but conceal the problems. The class rooms are overcrowded, the teachers are often not adequately trained. After all: “Ghana is the Region’s leader when it comes to provide education for all and the Millennium development goals in the field of education long before the 2015 Deadline,” praises for the world children’s Fund, the UN, and the UNICEF.

Girl power

In Iceland, Sarah Adwoa Safo reports on the new education initiative of the government, but they also came to cultivate networks. At the Women Leaders Forum, she sits on the subject of digitization together on the Podium with the former Prime Minister of Finland and current Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, Mari Kiviniemi, and the Deputy Romanian Prime Minister Ana Birchall. She hopes in Reykjavik on further Support for their education initiative.

Hundreds of women from all over the world, the Top positions in business and politics have, use the opportunity for an intensive exchange. There are so many wanted to participate that in the meantime have been accepted no more applications. Of “girl power” speaks to no one, but to feel it is everywhere.

Thoughtful view from the conference center in Reykjavik

Reykjavik Index for Leadership

However, there are still many prejudices in the face of such Power women. The a in Reykjavik for the first time, the presented Index shows. To find out how women in Leadership positions are perceived, Kantor, one of the world’s leading data specialists with around 30,000 employees carried out an extensive investigation in the G7 countries.

100 points would mean, according to the data of experts, “that in the whole of society, there is a Consensus that women and men are equally good for management positions in all areas.”

In fact, the overall result is, however, only 66 points. That is, as if you wanted to drive 100 miles an hour, but is only 66 kilometres an hour. And also between women and men, the results differ significantly.

“In the entire G7, the Reykjavik Index for Leadership for women is higher (67) than for men (61). This means that women in the G7, men and women look more than suitable for leadership roles than men,” says Michelle Harrison, Global CEO for the Cantor Public.

Surprising results for Germany

Have surprised the experts, the results for Germany. “In Germany, the probability is higher that men’s prejudices solidify an understanding of who should lead in professional areas,” explained Harrison. In France and the UK, the perception is clearly positive.

For Africa, no investigation has been carried out. In the long term, Cantor wishes to measure but on all continents, the perception of women and men in leadership positions. The hope is that the values improve in the long term.

Sarah Adwoa Safo, the Minister from Ghana, meanwhile, makes progress in the networks. Among other things, you meeting in Reykjavik with representatives of the world Bank and hopes to get in this way further support for the education initiative in Ghana.


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