The document outlines the objectives and activities of the EWSDGE (European Women Shareholders Demand Gender Equality) project. The project aims to increase women's representation in economic decision-making positions through public awareness campaigns, exercising shareholder rights, and putting pressure on companies. Over 100 activists from multiple EU countries engaged in shareholder meetings and advocacy. Statistics on women in leadership positions across EU countries are provided. The document recommends ambitious gender equality legislation and policies at the EU and national levels, changes to corporate culture, and shifts in societal perceptions.

2. EWSDGE CONCEPT
The objectives of the project are to:
develop public awareness, strategies and measurements for morefor morefor morefor more
women to be represented in economic decisionwomen to be represented in economic decisionwomen to be represented in economic decisionwomen to be represented in economic decision----
making positionmaking positionmaking positionmaking positions in the EU member states,
demand gender equality by exercising the right toexercising the right toexercising the right toexercising the right to
informationinformationinformationinformation with regard to actions taken concerning the absence
or underrepresentation of women on Supervisory and/or Managing
Boards and in other leadership positions,
putputputput companies under pressurecompanies under pressurecompanies under pressurecompanies under pressure concerning the
representation of women in management positions.
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

3. ProjectProjectProjectProject coordinatorcoordinatorcoordinatorcoordinator::::
ProjectProjectProjectProject partnerspartnerspartnerspartners::::
FundedFundedFundedFunded bybybyby::::
CoCoCoCo----fundedfundedfundedfunded bybybyby::::
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

4. PARTICIPATING
EU MEMBER STATES
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

5. EWSDGE NATIONAL COORDINATORS
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)
Prof. Jackie JONESJONESJONESJONES
EWLA President
Myriam VAN VARENBERGHVAN VARENBERGHVAN VARENBERGHVAN VARENBERGH
EWLA Treasurer
Dr. Katalin PRANDLERPRANDLERPRANDLERPRANDLER
EWLA Board Member
Antonia VERNAVERNAVERNAVERNA
EWLA Vice-President

6. EWSDGE NATIONAL COORDINATORS
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)
Kamelia ANGELOVAANGELOVAANGELOVAANGELOVA Svetlana GANEVAGANEVAGANEVAGANEVA
EWLA BULGARIA
Leena LINNAINMAALINNAINMAALINNAINMAALINNAINMAA
EWLA Former President
Katharina MILLERMILLERMILLERMILLER
EWLA Board Member

7. EWSDGE NATIONAL COORDINATORS
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)
Sylvia CLEFF LE DIVELLECCLEFF LE DIVELLECCLEFF LE DIVELLECCLEFF LE DIVELLEC Birgit KERSTENKERSTENKERSTENKERSTEN
EWLA Board Member EWLA Member
Nathalie LEROYLEROYLEROYLEROY
EWLA Former Board
Member

8. Abengoa CL.B, Abertis, Acerinox, ACS, Advance Terrafund REIT-Sofia, AENA, Airbus Group NV,
Albena AD-Albena, Allianz, Amadeus, Anheuser-Busch InBev, ANY, Appeninn, ArcelorMittal,
Ashtead Group plc, ASML Holding NV, Assicurazioni Generali, AXA, Babcock International Group plc,
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Banco Santander, Bankia, Bankinter, BASF, Bayer, Beiersdorf AG,
Bilfinger, BMW, BNP Paribas, British Land, Bulgarian Real Estate Fund REIT-Sofia, Business Telecom,
CAIXABANK, Carrefour, CB Central Cooperative Bank AD-Sofia, CB First Investment Bank AD-Sofia,
Cement Roadstone Holding CRH, Chimimport AD-Sofia, CIG Pannónia, Coca-Cola HBC AG, Daimler,
Danone, Danubius, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Post, Deutsche Telekom, DIA, Dixons Carphone plc,
ENAGAS, Enel, ENDESA, ENI, Essilor International, E.ON, Eurohold Bulgaria AD-Sofia, FCC,
FERROVIAL, FHB, Fresenius Medical Care, Fresenius SE, GAMESA, GAS NATURAL, GDF Suez,
GRIFOLS, GRP Société Générale, Heidelberger Cement, Holding Varna AD-Varna, IAG (IBERIA),
Iberdrola, INDRA, Industria de Diseño Textil (INDITEX), Industrial Capital Holding AD-Sofia, Industrial
Holding Bulgaria PLC-Sofia, ING Group, Intesa Saopaolo, K+S AG, JAZZTEL, Johnson Matthey,
Lloyds, L'Oréal, Lufthansa AG, LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton, M+S Hydraulic AD-Kazanlak,
Magyar Telekom, MAPFRE, MEDIASET, Merck, MOL, Monbat AD-Sofia, Münchener Rück, Neochim
AD-Dimitrovgrad, OHL, Orange, OTP Bank, Pannergy, Philips, POPULAR, Rába, REE, Repsol,
Richter Gedeon, RWE, SABADELL, SACYR, Saint Gobain, Sanofi, SAP, Schneider Electric,
Severn Trent, Siemens, Sopharma AD-Sofia, Sports Direct International plc, Stara Planina Hold ADSofia,
Synergon, TECNICAS REUNIDAS, Telefonica, TOTAL, Unibail-Rodamco, UniCredit, Unilever NV,
Vinci, Vivendi, Vodafone Group plc, Volkswagen Pref, Zarneni Hrani Bulgaria AD-Sofia
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)
LISTED COMPANIES
WERE ENGAGED IN THE
EWSDGE ACTIVITIES.
125

9. 105
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)
EWSDGE ACTIVISTS
WERE INVOLVED.
Rabea AICHELIN, Noemí AGULO GARZARO, Asunción ALONSO, Kamelia ANGELOVA, Dilyana ANGELOVA,
Ana ARMESTO, Katharina BAKE, Viviane DE BEAUFORT, Dr. Borbás BEATRIX, Uta BEHRENS,
Agnes Maraux BENOIT, Dr. Zolna BERKI, Caroline BOMMART, Dorothée BRUMTER, Manuela CAVALLO,
Ingrid CLAAS, Sylvia CLEFF LE DIVELLEC, Fanny COHEN, Marianna CONCORDIA, Gaëlle COPIENNE,
Cornelia DAHLITZ, Jade DESTRO, Mechtild DÜSING, Dr. Henriette VAN EIJL, Marianne EISMA,
Mary-Daphné FISHELSON, Ninon FOSTER, Dr. Henrike FRANZ, Svetlana GANEVA, Anke GIMBAL,
Sué GONZÁLEZ-HAUCK, Isabelle HINDENBERG, Margarete HOFMANN, Angela HORNBERG,
Alexandra HORNUNG, Julie HOSTEING, Virginie ISSUMO, Prof. Jackie JONES, Gerda JOSWIG,
Dr. Anna KATKÓ, Birgit KERSTEN, Juliane KIRCHHOF, Ulrike KLOPPSTECH,
Prof. Dr. Angela KOLB-JANSSEN, Dr. Románné Klára KOLOZSI, Oliver KÖRTING, Mariya KRASTEVA,
Ruth KROHN, Kristina KURAZOVA, Birgit LEMME, Nathalie LEROY, Daniela LEUKERT-FISCHER,
Leena LINNAINMAA, Brigitte LONGUET, Sabine LUTZENBERGER, Anne Charlotte MACK,
Roxane MANSON, Sigrun MAST, Dr. Annette MATTHIAS, Ursula MATTHIESSEN-KREUDER,
Daria MATVIENKO, Katharina MILLER, Joëlle MONLOUIS, Cathrin MUGAJ, Dr. Magdolna NAGY,
Marie NEHRENBERG, Anke ORTMANN, Katrin OSSIG, Sabine OVERKÄMPING, Corinna PÄFFGEN,
Elsa PAPADOPOULOU, Nico PFEIL, Ramona PISAL, Jenna PITKÄNEN, Marie-Theres PLUDRA,
Dr. Anna-Dorothea POLZER, Dr. Katalin PRANDLER, Bárbara ROMÁN, Dr. Mária SÁNDOR,
Manuela SCHAUERHAMMER, Prof. Dr. Renatus SCHENKEL, Lisa SCHMERER, Manuela SCHWESIG,
Eva SCHÜBEL, Sarah SCHÜLER, Kivi SIMSEK, Magda SKORDAKI, Elke SLOAN, Dr. Katalin SPITZER,
Dagmar STEFFENS, Iliana STOYCHEVA, Pura STRONG, Julia SUDEROW, Dr. Andrea SZÉKELY,
Genoveva TISHEVA, Antti TURUNEN, Dr. Szilvia VAJDA, Myriam VAN VARENBERGH, Dr. Mária VANCSA,
Antonia VERNA, Linda WALCZAK, Miruna WERKMEISTER, Friederike WIEMANN, Vanessa ZIEFLE,
Dr. Zita ZOMBORI

10. AGMs IMPRESSIONS
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

11. AGMs IMPRESSIONS
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

12. EUROPEAN STATISTICS
In EU-28, 21.2 % of board members of the largest listed companies
registered in the EU (615 companies covered) are women.
The situation in the participating Member States of the EWSDGE
project is as follows:
On EU-average women represent 15 % of executives and 25% of non
executives. 4% of CEOs are women.
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (Februar 2015)
FR 32,8 %
FI 29,5 %
UK 25,9 %
IT 25,8 %
DE 25,4 %
NL 23,8 %
BE 23,4 %
BG 17,6 %
ES 16,8 %
IE 13,2 %
HU 11,1 %
LU 11,1 %

13. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (Februar 2015)

14. EUROPEAN LEGISLATION
Concrete and visible awareness raising activities in AGMs
accompanied by hard and diligent work on legislation at
European level, especially:
Promoting the Women on BoardWomen on BoardWomen on BoardWomen on Board DirectiveDirectiveDirectiveDirective
Transposition of the CSRCSRCSRCSR DirectiveDirectiveDirectiveDirective
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

15. NEXT STEPS
We need sustainable progresssustainable progresssustainable progresssustainable progress and no backlashno backlashno backlashno backlash.
We would like to go on with our practicalpracticalpracticalpractical approachapproachapproachapproach.
If there is no EU funding available, the next steps are:
SpainSpainSpainSpain will continue with Paridad en Acción.
FranceFranceFranceFrance is planning a similar national activity.
UKUKUKUK intends to continue on a national level.
In GermanyGermanyGermanyGermany the questionnaire and guidelines will be
updated annually and put available online for djb members
willing to visit AGMs on a voluntary basis.
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

16. 15 RECOMMENDATIONS
Three broad strands:
Ambitious legislationlegislationlegislationlegislation and policiespoliciespoliciespolicies at European and national level
are necessary
- 9 recommendations -
Companies need to act and change their corporatecorporatecorporatecorporate cultureculturecultureculture
- 3 recommendations -
Change of perception in societyperception in societyperception in societyperception in society is needed
- 3 recommendations -
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

17. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

18. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

19. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

20. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

21. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

22. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

23. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

24. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

25. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

26. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

27. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

28. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

29. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

30. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

31. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

32. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

33. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

34. EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE) RECOMMENDATIONS

35. ThankThankThankThank you for youryou for youryou for youryou for your attention!attention!attention!attention!
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)

36. CONTACT
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY
German Women Lawyers Association (djb)
EWSDGE Project Office
Brunnenstr. 128ㆍD-13355 Berlin
P: +49 30 467 98 600ㆍF: +49 30 467 98 6020
E: eu-womenshareholders@djb.de
I: www.ewsdge.eu
@EWSDGE #euwomenshareholders
EUROPEAN WOMEN SHAREHOLDERS DEMAND GENDER EQUALITY (EWSDGE)