Despite years of efforts to promote gender equality in the workplace, women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions. With a focus on leadership and societal impact, Belgium’s 40 under 40 aims to empower individuals to find their full potential. 40u40 places a strong emphasis on gender diversity within its Community, and supports women in reaching leadership roles. To champion this cause, 40u40 invited Alumnae Sana Afouaiz, Charlotte Vanden Daele, Donatienne Goemans, and Sara Vermeir to engage in a conversation about women in leadership positions. Together, they discussed the importance of mentoring, re-examining gender norms, and valuing diversity as strengths for both organisations and women. In the pursuit of fostering gender equality and empowering women in leadership, these insightful discussions and collaborations underscore Belgium’s 40 under 40 commitment to creating a more inclusive and impactful future.
Belgium’s 40 under 40 interviewed four young female leaders to share their insights. Sana Afouaiz was a Fellow of Cohort 2022, and she is the founder and CEO of the Womenpreneur-Initiative, a professional collective igniting bold female leadership and active in 23 countries, including Belgium. Charlotte Vanden Daele was also part of Cohort 2022. A lawyer by training, she is a legal counsel at the GIMV, a private equity firm, and chairs an association called Level 20, an initiative focusing on improving gender diversity in the private equity sector. Donatienne Goemans is the Managing Director of Scarlet, a telecom operator. She was a Fellow of the Cohort 2021 Spring together with Sara Vermeir, who is a Practice Leader at Russell Reynolds Associates, an executive search company. Both are confronted daily with the navigation of gender diversity in the workplace, a topic very close to Sara who also acted as a jury member of the JUMP Award, an award that celebrates and supports a woman or a man at the top of an organisation who, through her or his commitment and actions, actively promotes corporate gender equality in their teams and among their managers. Together, these four 40u40 Alumnae bring complementary perspectives and expertise to the conversation surrounding women and leadership.
According to a study conducted by the social enterprise JUMP in June 2023, although 40% of board members among the BEL20 companies are women, this has not translated into a more balanced representation of women in executive committees (ExCom). There has been a declining trend in recent years, with the percentage of women in ExCom of BEL20 companies dropping to 16.7% in the first quarter of 2023. Out of 96 women, only five hold positions as executive directors. Sana refers to this underrepresentation of women in executive committees, saying that these numbers talk about the private sector, but the imbalance is apparent in politics as well. “There are countless different inheritances of cultural and social norms that keep women in certain positions.” She exemplifies this point with the case of women in political leadership positions who are subjected to the scrutiny of the media. “If we take a look at how the media treats women in politics, such as Prime Ministers of different countries who went to a party and were labelled as irresponsible and incapable, we see that the media has that view of women being unqualified for running leadership positions. The issue is a global one, and solutions put in place so far are only superficial.”
Sana points out that women experience a lack of opportunities, lack of supporting networks and inclusion. Charlotte agrees, saying that “There are so many different things that hinder women in their journey towards leadership. There are so many runs on the ladder and quite a few of them are broken whether that’s because they are faced with unconscious or conscious bias or because they don’t have the right mentoring, the right networks.” As a headhunter, Sara explains the importance of having a network and a female role model to look up to in the workplace. Moreover, women have difficulties making it to the top because they often do not even dare to try: “If a man matches 50% of what the job is asking for, he will raise his hand. And if a woman matches 90%, she will worry about the 10% that she doesn’t match.” All four agree that the causes of the gender imbalance are a vast spectrum, and it is time to rethink and restructure the workplace to create more space for female leadership.
Donatienne emphasises that diversity for the sake of fulfilling the quota is the recipe for superficial inclusion without genuine cultural change to help women in leadership positions. She explains that many companies only want diversity in theory, they do not actually plan to be culturally inclusive. “They do not want to change anything and expect everyone to just fold exactly in the small space they offer. By doing so, by not letting it flourish, they kill the assets of diversity. The whole purpose is to have someone who wants to do things differently, not just someone who fulfils their quota.” Charlotte further builds on that point, stating that the fact that “you are a woman means that you can bring perspective to the table, new insights, and new skills. We can and should treat diversity as an asset.”
Another point brought up here by Charlotte is that society is stuck with a traditional view on leadership. “In order to be viewed as a leader, you need a certain skill set which I would dare to call a quite traditional male centred skill set.” Traits such as being confident or resilient are traditionally linked to men rather than women, who often are rather associated with being emotional or self-conscious. According to Julia Middleton, this is an outdated view in need of reformulation. Julia Middleton is a serial societal entrepreneur and founder of Women Emerging, a movement committed to redefining leadership for women. Her advice to women is to “rethink all the expressions that get thrown at us as if they are our weaknesses. And remember that they are actually our strengths: being emotional, trusting instincts, having imposter syndrome. Our instincts are enormously powerful. Emotions are crucial and a little bit of humility gained from the imposter syndrome is helpful too.” Sara agrees with Julia on embracing the female leadership side and she emphasises the ability of a good leader to tap on a range of leadership skills across different dimensions. “We have the loud characteristic of a leader, being heroic and pragmatic for example and the quiet characteristics, like being humble and connecting. And typically, the quiet leadership traits are associated with females and the louder ones with male leaders. However, the best leaders are those who can span across all those dimensions and have access to both sides. In that sense, women should indeed embrace the female leadership sides, and male leaders should do so as well.”
To create space for gender diversity in leadership roles, we need to question our societal norms and begin to rethink what inclusivity and gender diversity can entail. Sana argues for four pillars that require collective re-examination to help women secure positions in leadership. Firstly, we must raise awareness of the fact that women represent 49.6% of the world’s population. This means that if a company or a political party does not include females in their products, services, or leadership styles, they are missing out on addressing half of the population. Including the female perspective brings benefits and is not a disadvantage.
Secondly, we need to question the way we see the other gender. Sana explains that inequality and discrimination against women are deeply anchored in our history, “it has been repeated by science, philosophy, religion over years and years – I think there is a lot of work still to be done to break that and I think we should do so by questioning and re-examining our gender norms.” Sana emphasises the importance of exercising caution in the ideas and images about gender that we convey and absorb. For her, the discussion about how we see gender should start at different spaces: at home, in school and in the media for example. These discussions should also take place in the private sector; and especially individuals with influence on society should openly practise questioning gender norms.
This is a discussion that needs to include men as well. “Having this discussion only amongst women is like pouring water on sand, we need to show men what it means to be a woman and raise awareness.” Sana founded Womenquake, a global movement that revisits and critically examines the beliefs, myths and ideas about gender. “The idea was to listen and not to convince. The objective was to question what you think”, Sana reflects on the project. It is important to include men, to “have a coffee, a drink with your brother, cousin, colleague and friend to have them see what your realities are as a woman. One example is to discuss periods and explain to men what it means to be on your period. It is important to talk about such topics and make sure men understand, listen and join us in action.” Finally, solidarity is key for inclusion, it is crucial for women to stick together and to avoid pushing each other down. Sana concludes that “there is not one solution, there are a bunch of them, and we need to put them all together and question everything around us to create inclusion in leadership.”
The four interviewees emphasise that being a woman in a leading position is challenging, therefore, having the right mentor to guide you is crucial. Sara mentions the need to bring women out of their comfort zone, to train them to see themselves in the positions they deserve to be in. A mentor can play an important role in helping women to grow as a leader despite the challenges they face. Donatienne argues here for having a male mentor. “Men are good at rethinking weaknesses. A lot of the barriers women see for themselves might not even cross the mind of a man. Sometimes, having a man as a mentor means having someone who calls you out for questioning yourself, they advise you to just go for it.” However, having a female mentor also has its advantages. Charlotte argues that a female mentor can sympathise with the barriers society poses on you. “Having a male mentor can indeed mean that they do not see your insecurities as something to hold you back, which is empowering. But they also do not see the hurdles that you face as a woman from the outside world. I value a female mentor because they can acknowledge the reality of what it is like being a woman in leadership.” In conclusion, the four Alumnae agree that having a mentor encouraging and inspiring you is important for anyone who wants to grow as a leader. The right tutoring and guidance can help in particular women to break gender related barriers. Having a male and female mentor can be a crucial asset since each brings a unique perspective and the right set of mentors encourages professional growth in all forms.
Donatienne points out that even though there are still lots of challenges for women in leading roles, she is positive that in the coming years awareness and more opportunities will arise as people are becoming more conscious of the benefits of diversity. Belgium’s 40 under 40 wants to encourage this development and is joining forces with Club L Brussels to co-host a yearly Meet and Greet between the Members of Club L and the ladies of 40u40. Club L Brussels brings together women in leadership roles in a variety of fields with the purpose to stimulate exchanges between inspiring women and increase their personal fulfillment and their positive impact on society. The latest get-together took place in December 2023. It was an inspiring evening with many Club L and 40u40 Members present, forming new connections through a speed-dating exercise, followed by dinner and drinks. Club L invites the ladies of 40u40 to join their initiative and to take part in the exchange between inspiring women. Fernanda Carcamo, a 40u40 Alumna who became a member of Club L after the first joint event, shares that being a Club L member “is about connecting and collaborating, it is about becoming friends, taking care of each other, and sharing experiences. As women in society, we can have an impact, and this impact we wish to have on this world is usually best done when you are surrounded by like-minded individuals, people in a group that you can connect with, a group where you feel like you belong, women who are there to support you and have a good time”.
Belgium’s 40 under 40 aims to develop leadership skills for societal impact. The four pillars of the program, being Conversation Circles, Forums, Field Work Projects, and Mentorship pairings encourage the Fellows to grow as a person in a professional and personal dimension. The program can benefit women by providing the needed mentorship opportunities or offering a space for listening and questioning, two skills the four Alumnae learned in the 40u40 program. As Charlotte points out, “listening and questioning are important leadership qualities”, and helpful in breaking gender norms. Charlotte as well as the other Alumnae appreciate the exchange they entered in with their 40u40 Fellows. “There is a lot of diversity in the Fellows and that is fantastic. It impressed me when I joined the Cohort. I met so many people outside my bubble that I would have never encountered in my professional life, and I learned so much”, Sara points out.
Another goal of the program is to push existing leadership qualities to the surface of the Fellows, making them aware of their own capabilities or giving them tools to break down their mental barriers. Charlotte remembers arriving on the first Forum of the program feeling the imposter syndrome kick in: “I remember looking around the table and thinking what I am doing here?” However, after continuously hearing and learning over the course of a year that her voice matters and she belongs at the table, the imposter syndrome shrunk, making room for confidence and inspiration. “I became more confident that I have the power to change things. It strengthened my belief in my skills and made me realise that even though there might be barriers for me I have no control over, I can still achieve so many things regardless.” Charlotte’s journey illustrates the impact the 40u40 program hopes to have in equipping women for leadership roles. It fosters a mindset that transcends barriers, empowering women to believe in their abilities and strive for impactful change.
