PWN Paris: Congress and 25th Anniversary

PWN Paris recently celebrated their 25th anniversary during a special edition of their annual congress, in October 2021, in Paris. The event was a time for celebration, a time for reflection and a time to be inspired on how to respond to the need to build a more balanced society.

The event comprised keynote addresses, panel sessions, and workshops involving a varied mix of more than 20 speakers, from political institutions to business and independent organisations.

Guest speakers shared their views and concrete solutions on subjects such as: finding purpose in life and at work; governance; and female quotas, to face the present and future challenges of our professional and social environment.

PWN Paris were also honoured to share: an officially recorded speech from Elisabeth Moreno, Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, reporting to the French Prime Minister; an interview of Marie-Pierre Rixain, Member of the Parliament and President of the Delegation Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities; and, a range of testimonies from current and past PWN Global and City Network Presidents.

In addition, an in-person presence from the PWN Global Co-Presidents, Virginia Otel and Nadine Castellani who gave great keynote addresses on the new strategy for PWN Global, which was well-received by all attendees and elicited lots of interesting questions. 

Once again, PWN Paris has strengthened its role as an actor of gender balance in society.

Some highlights from the day can be described via these quotes from guest speakers:

Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the Law Commission, Deputy of Yvelines (5th constituency)

“Diversity does not come by itself; we need the law.

I am convinced that we should not bend to the male model, we can be female politicians while remaining women and it is up to us to fully assume that. Also, when we manage to access responsibilities, let other women in, helping women to get there will make us stronger.”

Isabelle Lamothe, VP Practice People & Organization - Cap Gemini Invent

"To respond to this quest for purpose, the direction we should take is to work on individual and collective equity, create a more entrepreneurial and more inclusive world of work"

Marc-Henri Bernard, Group HR Director of Remy Cointreau, and Member of the national board of ANDRH

"Despite the talent and responsibilities of employees, they must respect the values of the company, we are working to set clear objectives to be respected that meet this need for purpose"

 Fanny Picard, Founder and CEO Alter Equity

"A business can be profitable and responsible, let's take action and demonstrate this"

The network's 25th anniversary was also an opportunity for its board of directors to define its “raison d'être” and project its action into the future.

PWN Paris Manifesto 

Since its creation 25 years ago, PWN Paris has been committed to promoting women's leadership in the professional world, in France, and internationally.

Today, PWN Paris is defining its raison d’être, so that women fully embrace their role in the transformation of society.

As a professional network, PWN Paris is committed to the evolution of the leadership model in society and organisations to concretely support societal changes, while continuing to promote the rightful place of women where progress remains to be made.

PWN Paris' mission is based on its raison d’être: cultivating committed leadership for a balanced and sustainable society.

PWN Paris is committed to revealing and growing talent, and to strengthening their capacity to transform by drawing on the multitude of experiences and stakeholders in the network.

PWN Paris works collectively to promote and exercise modern, gender-balanced and inclusive leadership in companies and organisations, making the contribution of women essential.

PWN Paris' ambition is to create a shared, dynamic, and peaceful form of governance to address the major challenges facing society.

Both PWN Paris, PWN Global and all the City Networks of the PWN family, are cross-sectoral, cross-cultural, and cross-generational networks, driven by the richness and diversity of our members and our ecosystem. We are committed to spreading our influence in France, Europe and internationally.

PWN Paris carries the vision of a committed leadership where we act in co-responsibility, in respect and kindness, to carry the voice of a collective intelligence, courageous and capable of responding sustainably to current and future challenges.

To discover more about the achievements of PWN Paris, check out the BEST OF video: 25 years of actions of PWN Paris.

Other pictures and videos can be found here. 

Date: January 2022
Author:  Christina Balanos, VP Network, PWN Paris
Copy Editor: Rebecca Fountain, Marketing Consultant, PWN Global