Global FIVE (Female Innovative Vision on Entrepreneurship), closing the gap on gender equality through innovative young female entrepreneurship

"<< Background >>We chose to apply for this project because we believe it is essential to raise awareness of the issue of equality in the workplace and to highlight how young women are helping to transform professional paradigms through female entrepreneurship.The identified need is based on a lack of awareness among young students of persistent inequalities in the professional world, as well as a lack of inspiring female role models, particularly in terms of professional success and entrepreneurship. This project therefore aims to reduce these gaps by providing students with a space for expression, training, and networking.This project was born from an observation made during our work with young people in academia. Indeed, the academic assessment system does not discriminate based on gender: a successful student gets good grades, regardless of their gender. This creates a perceptual bias: many believe that equality is a given, including in the workplace. In our discussions with students at the end of their studies, we observe that they are often convinced that opportunities will be fair once they enter the workforce.<< Objectives >>We wanted to capture the attention, generate interest, and encourage youth engagement in gender equality issues by offering activities beyond the academic sphere.Our ambition is to contribute to the empowerment of young women while promoting awareness, engagement, and active participation for all toward a more egalitarian society. To this end, we have implemented several areas of action:Provide participants with the tools, skills, and confidence needed to become agents of change in their communities (working on imposter syndrome, the glass ceiling, etc.);Encourage entrepreneurship as a lever for inclusion through inspiring testimonies from women entrepreneurs;Develop transversal skills such as leadership, communication, and networking (examples of women leaders, discussions after each conference, roundtable discussions, breaks, and a cocktail reception with alumni);Raise awareness of gender equality issues through expert presentations on stereotypes, systemic barriers, and key concepts;Create a space for intercultural dialogue, etc.<< Implementation >>Four activities were planned and funded: (1) preparation of the two conferences; (2) a conference in Paris on gender equality; (3) a conference in Barcelona on women's innovation; and (4) preparation of reports from both conferences and analysis of the conceptual development of the students who participated in the conferences.To ensure their smooth running, an initial preparation phase was conducted in collaboration with our partners to coordinate all logistical and pedagogical aspects.The conference in Paris, entitled ""Gender Equality: What Genders?"", brought together 87 students, 14 professionals, and 13 speakers.The conference in Barcelona, ​​developed in English and entitled ""Innovation with a Gender Perspective,"" brought together 90 students, including 56 scholarship holders, as well as 12 professionals and 17 speakers. In order to capitalize on the discussions and key ideas discussed during these two events, two reports were written and the conceptual development of the students analyzed.<< Results >>Both conferences benefited from the participation of high-level speakers from five countries (Argentina, France, Spain, Ireland, and Indonesia), representing a diversity of academic, professional, and entrepreneurial backgrounds. A total of 30 speakers contributed to the discussions: 13 in Paris and 17 in Barcelona, ​​enriching the discussions through roundtable discussions and thematic presentations.In addition, seven women entrepreneurs presented their projects: three in Paris, primarily students, and four in Barcelona, ​​active in the field of innovation. These presentations illustrated the diversity and richness of female entrepreneurship, while providing students with inspiring figures and concrete success stories.Participation far exceeded initial expectations. We assessed the impact of the conferences on the understanding of issues related to gender equality and female entrepreneurship through questionnaires administered before and after each event. The responses made it possible to measure the conceptual evolution of students on notions such as gender, the glass ceiling, innovation, systemic inequalities, and female entrepreneurship."