Girls' Day at MAWA: Our heroines of the future

Heroines of the future, or Sheros, are the next generation of strong women who were the focus of Girls' Day 2022 on April 28.

As part of Girls' Future Day, companies, businesses, and universities across the country welcomed girls from the fifth grade upwards and introduced them to typical "male professions," meaning job profiles and industries in which women are still largely underrepresented. This day thus makes a significant contribution to the topic of equal opportunities in the workplace and encourages girls not to be constrained by traditional gender roles, but to pursue careers they enjoy and thus fully realize their potential. The topic of "Strong Women" is also very important to MAWA, which is why we also participated in Girls' Day 2022.

We welcomed 11 participants aged between 10 and 15 from three schools in the region. As part of the event "I'm going to be a boss with Michaela Schenk," a varied program awaited the bosses of the future. After the welcome, the MAWA adventure began with a tour of the company led by our production manager. Our latest innovations in our machinery were examined in detail, and the participants were given an overview of the stages a MAWA coat hanger goes through. The next item on the agenda was Michaela Schenk, Managing Director of MAWA, who gave an insight into her career and her daily work as a boss. This was followed by a panel discussion on equal rights, sustainability, and digitalization – topics that are not only the focus of the action day, but that couldn't be more relevant now.

"With a good education, you can and should confidently tackle all challenges. And never be afraid of the new or the unknown. Everyone, regardless of age, can reinvent and reorient themselves professionally. And everyone, and above all, has the same opportunity to succeed in their vocation." (Michaela Schenk)

The participants also reported on their everyday school life, how equality is practiced there, and their experiences during two years of the pandemic. Of course, they also got involved: In small groups, the participants were able to create newsletters on various topics and gained insight into the work of online marketing.

Equality: Reality or vision of the future?

According to the World Economic Forum, equality worldwide is still a vision rather than a reality. It will take another 133 years until true equality becomes a reality. But what about the professional context in Germany? Michaela Schenk knows: "According to current figures from the Federal Statistical Office, the proportion of women in leadership positions was still only 30 percent in 2019. This puts Germany in 20th place among EU countries. Women in leadership positions are therefore still underrepresented. Compared to the figures of recent years, however, it can be seen that we are already on the right track, even if there is still room for improvement. It is important that a rethinking process takes place. We should get used to the fact that there are women in leadership positions."

Sustainability was also a central theme at this year's Girls' Day. Want to learn more about how sustainability is practiced at MAWA? Read our blog post on the topic here.

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