Princess of Asturias Laureate Mary Beard and Indian writer Namita Gokhale headline IE University's International Women's Month

Princess of Asturias Laureate and Classical History expert Mary Beard and Indian writer and editor Namita Gokhale, will be among the main attractions at IE University's International Women's Month, to be held in March. This initiative is part of the institution's commitment to promoting gender equality and working to make the role of professional women more visible.

IE University has designed a Liquid Learning E-Book, with all the activities that will take place from March 1 to 31: conversations, interviews, videos, awards for female talent, all with the aim of transferring the legacy of women in society. With a versatile format and accessible from any electronic device, the Liquid Learning Ebook will also gather all the information related to women at IE University, including programs, research and related events promoted by the academic institution.

Along with Mary Beard, the recipient of the 2016 Princess of Asturias Award in Social Sciences, and Namita Gokhale, Director of the Jaipur Festival, the largest literary event in the world, will be Susana Malcorra, Dean of IE School of Global and Public Affairs and former Argentinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be some of the women participating in the virtual debates. The presence of women on boards of directors, the challenges of gender equality and the future of work will be among the topics to be discussed with executives from companies such as IBM, Amazon, Credit Suisse or Bancolombia among others.

Todas las actividades han sido coordinadas por la iniciativa #IEWomen, que integra más de 30 unidades, incluyendo expertos de las cinco escuelas de IE University, así como la comunidad de antiguas alumnas, estudiantes, profesores, staff y el apoyo de empresas colaboradoras como Cisco,  Givengy o KPMG, entre otras.

“In these uncertain times, it is more necessary than ever to transcend our present and promote diverse narratives and teams that are more creative and generate greater competitiveness. But above all, it is essential to take time to reflect and analyze what has brought us to this point. We cannot forget that women make up 50% of the population and from our institution, we want women to be agents of change and have the best female talent in areas such as technology, entrepreneurship, science and management”.
Celia de Anca, Director of the Diversity Center at IE University

Some 39% of IE University’s full-time professors are female, as are 48% of female students in undergraduate, graduate and executive education. The #IEWomen initiative supports women to achieve their personal and professional goals, understand the barriers they face, work to overcome them and drive their development. Initiatives such as #IEWomen, promoted by the IE Foundation through its Center for Diversity Management, created in 2002, contribute to promoting diversity as a competitive advantage in the corporate world through the generation and dissemination of knowledge.

Social impact initiatives

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, this year IE University is promoting social impact projects in all its actions, with the aim of building a committed, cohesive and resilient community. The transformation of a society depends on a change in individual behavior. Women play a fundamental role at IE in building this community and fostering an equitable environment. At IE University we aim to reinforce our values and drive positive change through education, innovation and the development of critical thinking.