DARE MORE! F E AT U RE As FIDI appoints its first female President, we ask some of theleading power women in the FIDI community for their perceptions of the gender divide today, and what still needs to change. Carina Bailey reports A CARINA BAILEY s a woman who, shall we say, has spirit, I felta kind of kinship when I read Laura Ganons words about how she perceives the gender divide in what is inherently still amans world. I believe the men that are now in higher positions should be smarter and realise there are different male and female characteristics that add to a companys success, says the CEO of Fink Mobility. It is also completely unfair and absurd that a woman earns less than a man when in the same position, with the same responsibility, doing the same work. Equality means balance. Balance means success and people who feelthey are being unfairly treated will not produceasmuch as a happy professional. This always The all-female FIDI 39 Club Board, from left: Jackie Stouffer, Alexandra Schmidt, Morgana Somers, Isabelle Harsch and Jessica Deutschmann 62 FF291JunJul19 pp62-67 Power Women.indd 62 reflects on the result of the company. So my message is: Guys, be smarter While it still has its faults, the moving industry is better than most when it comes to bridging the equality divides in the workplace and, for some, nowhere is its progress more apparent than in FIDI itself. The Associations appointments in recent years have moved Renata Busettini to tears. I was so proud of us as an industry when Freddy Paxton joined the board and introduced his husband to the audience, she says. Believe it or not, this is something that, in many countries and industries, is very far from normal. And I couldnt stop my tears when Ebru [Demirel] became the first female President of our Association. The fact that it has taken 69 years for a woman to accede to that post is inescapable, but Busettini who owns Vinelli & Scotto S.R.L, has a theory. It might be because, in the past, there was a mentality that the Boards work would be male stuff, but it might also be that women would not even dare to think they could reach that level in the Association, either because they did not feel they had the capabilities or the courage to put their name forward. Tina Borba, Vice President International, Crown Worldwide Moving & Storage Co., would agree that a lack of confidence has had its part to play. Because women are less likely to challenge the norms and tend not to be risk takers in the same way as men, it has taken longer for there to be progression, she explains, but there has been some advancement, and this will continue. However, some of the recent progression has been because of changes in law rather than changes within the industry. Senior management needs to be more open to the inclusion of women and women need to be willing to ask to be included at that level. So where is the industry at today? According to Cristina Mesonero, International Corporate Manager at DLF International Movers, there are more opportunities in moving for women than ever before. The number of females in this industry has increased enormously since companies became aware of the female attributes that enable women to multitask, create rapport with others and share a passion for doing the right thing. Today, we see women driving trucks, and many working as packers and in other operations-orientated positions. Simone Percy is a self-confessed champion of women in her position as Managing Director at Dasa International Movers, and describes the increase of women in the industry as dramatic: Far from being one of only a small number of women at conferences, we nowhave our own networks and groups that provide support and nurture new talent. While we have a long way to go to reach parity, I believe we are on the right track. Ganon agrees that, as in many industries, the male/ female divide is not equal, but she adds: The moving WWW. F I D I . OR G 13/05/2019 12:53