The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a joint corporate governance training initiative for women business leaders in southeast Europe. This agreement will address underrepresentation of women on boards in the region and help local businesses comply with newly adopted European Union legislation that sets mandatory targets for gender inclusion on boards.
The agreement between CIPE and EBRD leverages the combined capabilities of both organizations to promote gender equity and inclusion and advance women’s economic empowerment. CIPE and EBRD will collaborate to provide emerging business leaders in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia with a wide range of training on topics related to board effectiveness. Among the offerings: advisory services, ongoing business coaching, mentoring, and networking. A conference to kick off the collaboration will be held on March 17th in Zagreb, Croatia, with the first programme in the series anticipated to launch soon after.
“One of CIPE’s priorities in Europe is to advance leadership by women in the commercial sector to support the wider goal of economic inclusion. We are delighted to partner with the EBRD and its rich legacy of promoting gender inclusion in the region to strengthen corporate governance training among women entrepreneurs in southeast Europe,” said CIPE’s Europe Program Director Jeff Lightfoot.
Victoria Zinchuk, EBRD Director, Regional Head for Central Europe, elaborated: “Engaging female talent is one of the smartest things a company can do. The EBRD has been supporting women in business for many years. Inclusion is embedded in our values. In Croatia we have previously implemented the training for women on boards. The interest in the business community was that high, and the trainings were so successful that scaling it up both in Croatia and in other countries came as a natural step forward. We are very happy that we continue this journey in partnership with CIPE.”
About CIPE
The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is a global organization that works to strengthen democracy and build competitive markets in many of the world’s most challenging environments. Working alongside local partners and tomorrow’s leaders, CIPE advances the voice of business in policy making, promotes opportunity, and develops resilient and inclusive economies. To learn more about CIPE, visit cipe.org, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
About the EBRD
The EBRD is a multilateral bank that promotes the development of the private sector and entrepreneurial initiative in 36 economies across three continents. The Bank is owned by 71 countries as well as the EU and the EIB. EBRD investments are aimed at making the economies in its regions competitive, inclusive, well-governed, green, resilient and integrated. Follow us on the web, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter,and YouTube.
Published Date: March 06, 2023