Bianca Tudor: Equality starts with equal access to education

Bianca Tudor is an entrepreneur and the founder of Elite Business Women (EBW), a group looking to empower and help women climb the corporate and entrepreneurial ladder through mutual support. The entity now boasts 11,000 members and, while located mainly in Romania, it is now quickly expanding abroad.

Define equality in today’s world. Where do we stand right now?

Bianca Tudor: Even though we wish for more equality, the world is unfair! Some people are born in countries torn apart by war and others are born or develop severe health issues. From initiatives such as the gender pay gap, and the #metoo movement, there is definitely inequality between men and women in the workplace Sometimes this is because women do not take negotiating salaries as seriously, or they more easily take ‘No’ for an answer.

I believe that we live our lives in a cause and effect context. Cause meaning that you take your power back, and start acting towards the result you want, and effect meaning that you have a full list of reasons and excuses, for which you cannot have what you want There is a lot of preoccupation on the subject matter of equality between men and women, and now as a result of measures being put in place to level the playing field, some men have now started talking about positive discrimination.

However, it is clear there are still huge gaps. Women in the European Union earn 16.2% on average less than men. Board representation is another matter and thankfully to address this, the Balanced Gender Boards initiative was launched by the EU mandating there to be 40% women on the board of big companies. Some countries adopted this policy and some companies as well. The Commission refers to research confirming the positive impact of gender diversity in management on business performance, but also to data indicating that the EU still scores low when it comes to equality in decision-making and that the gap between the Member States is widening.

What does the ideal scenario look like in terms of equality?

Bianca Tudor: First of all, access to education for both girls and boys. In Africa or the Middle East, in poorer families, there are still different rules for boys and girls when it comes to access to education – boys go to school and girls stay at home to tend to the family.

Other initiatives to tackle inequality could surface through a Robin Hood-type tax. Wealthy families would donate 20% to the poor families, a tax for equality. Imagine a €100 million-family donating €20 million for poor families, a truly life-changing and destiny-changing amount when put towards basics such as education…

What are the sectors that have embraced equality and what are the ones lagging behind? Why do you think that is?

Bianca Tudor: There is a lot of work to do in this matter and little resources in term of money, people and decision-making authorities. Using the Balanced Gender Boards as an example – more women in board positions, but we do not educate enough young girls. We need a change at the basic levels of education; this will have a huge impact on all fields impacted by inequality!

Tell us about Elite Business Women. What is the story behind this unique project, where are you with it now, and where do you see in the future?

Bianca Tudor: I was inspired by my grandmother and mother’s struggles in life, so I built a company for female entrepreneurs. Sometimes, access to education, or a better job, or a better life is granted by financial resources. Us, women, are traditionally taught to take care of the house, of the family, of our parents, be active in the community, so on. This sometimes means that our focus is not on money as a resource – women will, many times, earn less than a man in a family. Earning less sometimes translates unintentionally into less decision-making powers, less authority and, therefore, less self-esteem.

The largest unemployment rate is amongst women, yet women are graduating from university in a higher percentage than men. This means we have this educated group who, in my vision, can be brought into entrepreneurship. When a woman is financially independent she will invest in family, education, health, society, community, CSR, etc

How can an initiative like Elite Business Women contribute towards equality?

Bianca Tudor: We were always involved as volunteers in big projects such as the Balanced Gender Boards, Equality Pays Off, and local NGOs for women. At EBW, we are promoting education for women, and financial independence and are focussed on setting up a healthy base for this. In Romania, the incidence of domestic violence is through the roof, many of these women are home-staying individuals, and the lack of resources is one of the reasons for which they stay with a violent partner, as an example. By empowering women at a young age, showing what education and financial independence can bring, we hope to create a generation of resourceful women who have easier means of escaping such dire situations.

We have inequality between men and women in the workplace. Sometimes this is just because women don’t take negotiating salaries seriously, or they take NO for an answer.

I always tell women my life story, that I came from a modest family, working and thriving every day, and that it is possible to create a different life. Having been raised by my grandmother in a rural area, everything changed when I decided that I would be the first woman in my family with a college degree. I made this a reality. I took a job with ING Bank at 19, to be able to financially support my studies. I stayed there for 7 years and afterwards I had this vision of doing more for women. I always knew that I will do something in this area. I started EBW and, after 5 years, it is now a company with operations in Romania, UK, Portugal and Italy.

Where do men fit in the story?

Bianca Tudor: I believe men can be more proactive in educating boys and girls on the very important topic of equality. We need men to be active voices in this movement. The behaviour of assigning labels such as that if you have an opinion you are bossy for a young girl, but assertive and strong-willed as a young boy needs to stop. We need to tackle gender stereotypes early on so that they do not develop or normalise amongst the younger generation.

It is important for these young girls to know their opinions are valid and they should be able to stand by them without fear of being labelled. It will have an impact later on. In a job interview, for example, or in a business negotiation, she will not have the power stand by her own opinions. Educating boys to be go-getters and fewer team players will create more go-getters and fewer team players in the business environment. Therefore we need to ensure the education system and society more generally teaches both men and women that we can all be go-getters and team players and work harmoniously for a better tomorrow.

How should society/individuals/nonprofits/companies go about empowering women?

Bianca Tudor: Education for girls, and coaching in schools and families. A well-educated girl will be an educated contributor to tomorrow ‘s society. Women are in charge of the education of the next generation.