
The Other Half by Simona Scarpaleggia publishes this week in the UK. Simona is CEO of Ikea Switzerland and co-chair of the UN High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, practising what she preaches.
We live in a world that is unequal by nature. One could even say that its diversity is essential to all the world’s survival. However, inequality among human beings is one of society’s biggest problems. This book is about opportunities. It is about being at the forefront of a paradigm change and a win-win situation. And it is about leading one of the most compelling and exciting shifts in our society: women’s empowerment. Company leaders are used to dealing with radical changes in markets, technology and customer behaviour as an important part of their job. They are accustomed to interpreting these changes and adding innovative solutions for them together with their teams. How they do this makes all the difference., But there is a story that corporations all over the globe have chosen to ignore. This story is the sum total of millions of lost opportunities because over half the potential workforce was left behind. Although half the population is made up of women, only 50% of them can earn a decent living. Millions of them are neglected as competent employees and valued customers. Visionary, yet concrete and based on experience The Other Half sets out to change just that.
Advance Praise for The Other Half
“A prosperous world with higher and sustained economic growth levels is only possible if gender equality and women’s rights are realized and discrimination is not tolerated.” Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director, UN Women
“Simona Scarpaleggia provides a much-needed roach map and toolkit for business leaders who want a practical guide to achieving gender equality and inclusion in the workplace. Packed with real-life references and practical observations, Scarpaleggia transforms a daunting topic into a series of steps and practices that will set any business on the road to reaping the benefits that a more diverse and inclusive workforce can bring – at precisely the time that shareholders and investors are increasingly attuned to ESG-related considerations.” Tina Fordham, Managing Director, Chief Global Political Analyst and Head Gender Economics Research, Citi, and Member of UN HLP on Women’s Economic Empowerment
About the author
Simona Scarpaleggia is CEO of Ikea Switzerland and co-chair of the UN High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, practising what she preaches.
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