ACCA is proud to support the “Women of Europe” Awards, jointly organised by the European Movement International and  the European Women’s Lobby,  which honours women striving to advance the European project in their professional or private capacity

Europe needs a more diverse and transformative leadership, and while change is slowly happening, the role of women in the European project  is still largely unrecognised.

This is one of the reasons why ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)  is a strong supporter of the Women of Europe Awards, which aims to increase the presence and involvement of women in debates about Europe and its future. The Women of Europe awards highlight the contribution of creative and dynamic women in promoting and advancing European issues, in actively building a value-based Europe at all levels.

Helen Brand, OBE, Chief Executive at ACCA said “European Commission figures show that across the EU, with some variations among member states, women are generally underrepresented in decision-making positions, particularly in politics and business. For instance, in May 2016, women accounted for only 29% of members of the single or lower houses of parliaments in the EU countries. This confirms  that urgent action is needed to address the current and too well-established political and corporate culture issues, which maintain traditional gender stereotypes and roles. Raising awareness of successful and inspiring role models is critical to challenging these conventions, and this is why ACCA is proud to support the Women of Europe Awards. This is a development that precisely contributes to the aim of challenging norms”.

Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition and Adela Ionela Dinu, who sadly passed away recently,  are  the winners of the first edition, respectively for the “Woman in Power” and the “Woman in Action” categories. They were selected among other outstanding examples of women, who are changing Europe and challenging the status quo.

Helen Brand concluded: “I am convinced that  the ‘glass ceiling’ can be broken by challenging standards, and by being prepared to be different. Margrethe Vestager and Adela Ionela Dinu, our two winners, are perfect examples of the changing nature of power, becoming less institutional and less predictable. Like other inspiring women – such as Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel - these exceptional women changed the world around them, either through showing extraordinary leadership on a European level, or in undertaking extraordinary actions at grass-root level in Europe, for the better.”

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For media enquiries, contact:

Cecile Bonino, tel: +32 (0) 2 286 11 37 or cecile.bonino@accaglobal.com

Notes to Editors

About ACCA

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

ACCA supports its 188,000 members and 480,000 students in 181 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 95 offices and centres and more than 7,110 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. It believes that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. ACCA’s core values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and it ensures that through its range of qualifications, it prepares accountants for business. ACCA seeks to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating its qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers. More information is here: www.accaglobal.com