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After years of an upward trend, IE Business School’s Master in Management (MIM) hit the goal of gender parity with the January 2021 intake—114 female students matched with 112 male students.

And students are delighted.

“I have had numerous opportunities to stand up for gender equality and share how crucial it is for advancing in all aspects of our society,” said MIM student Inês Sottomayor.

“IE creates an atmosphere that empowers everyone, equally, an atmosphere where you feel free to stand up for what you believe.”
Inês Sottomayor, MIM student

Stephanie Villemagne, Associate Dean of the MIM, notched the accomplishment up to hard work from the admissions team and the innate attractiveness of a pre-experience, one-year program.

Carlen Long, Global Admission and Enrollment Manager for the MIM, said the trend toward parity crossed all programs in the Business School and that IE offers an attractive environment for female students to flourish.

“We are a community that thrives on promoting women in leadership, tech, and business roles,” Long said. “Across all IE programs, equality of opportunity regardless of gender is core to our values.”

And there are the incentives to attract women.

The IE Women Scholarship aims to support motivated women who focus on achieving important goals and will act as role models for others. It can fund up to 25 percent of the program. There are also specific awards for women in traditionally male-dominated fields such as STEM, finance, and leadership.

Long also points out the experience “is made so much more rewarding by working closely with peers from so many other countries, choosing your track and electives to fit your interests and goals, and enjoying the cultural and social backdrop of a sunny, vibrant city like Madrid.”

In fact, the Jan 2021 intake is 88 percent international students from 47 nationalities—including 56 percent European.

Beyond the program specifics, however, students herald how invested IE is in diversity and equality. The Women in Business Club is one of the most active groups on campus, hosting events and bringing leading female business leaders to speak on campus (or Zoom) and promotes networking between women IE students and alumni.

“By being a board member of IE Women in Business, one of the pillars of IE Diversity, I had the opportunity to raise awareness of the importance that all genders have equal rights, responsibilities, and opportunities,” Sottomayor said.

IE recently ranked 43rd out of 776 universities worldwide on the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking on Sustainable Development Goal 5, gender equality.

MIM program management said it does not plan to rest on its laurels, though.

The MIM is ramping up to resume travel and international experiences next year, and enhancing students’ ability to tailor the program to their specific interests.

The master program will introduce new initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, including two new introductory modules-- one on Diversity and Inclusion and the other on Sustainability in Business, in addition to a MIM Challenge that aims to create a positive impact on the community.

“A key leadership skill is being inclusive, where leaders can harness diversity of thought for improved creativity, innovation and organizational performance,” explained Villemagne.

“Teaching students diversity and inclusion skills at the beginning of their MIM journey will equip them with the skills to harness the diversity of thought within their teams and practice inclusive leadership skills. It will also build a more inclusive culture across the school where marginalized or underrepresented groups can thrive.”
Stephanie Villemagne, Associate Dean of the MIM

Sottomayor said those skills are key to the program’s appeal.

“During the MIM, we are part of many workgroups. Thanks to gender parity, these groups can be more diverse and more different ideas and perspectives can be brought to the table,” she said. “Therefore, the more success potential the team has.”

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