The power of equality: men and women building a better future
Susana Coerver
Women in the world of architecture
Sónia Abreu
Ser mulher: ser perfeita com o melhor das imperfeições
Ana Baleizão
Head of Corporate Communication & Engagement da L’Oréal em Portugal
I am a woman, I am a
daughter, I am a partner, I am a «mother
with all my heart»,
I am a professional, I am a leader, I am a teacher, I am a half-marathon
runner... Like many women, I am a world of choices, dreams, projects, ideals
and values that proliferate in the different spheres of my life: personal,
family, social and professional. Being a woman means putting into each of them
the strength, dedication and resilience that we are so characterised by, the
will to «make
things happen»
with a level of excellence and even «perfection»
and to surpass ourselves with every challenge we set ourselves or are set.
But being a woman must also be an act of awareness, self-knowledge and respect. Being a woman means being open to the mantra that «there’s room to make mistakes», that perfection lies in versatility and excellence in «Test & Learn» (hadn’t L’Oréal taught me that it’s in making mistakes that we achieve the best, further down the line). And that’s fine. Being a woman isn’t about always being the perfect leader, the perfect mum, the perfect professional, the perfect partner, the perfect «Ana». To be a woman is to be all of these things, shoulder to shoulder with the imperfection of the most challenging days, the tiredness of Fridays, the pressure of the society that surrounds us (and that we ourselves put on society).
The world is racing ahead. And it’s so inspiring how «high creativity», «high knowledge», «high passion»... with the role and power that each one of us, women, has to build, contribute and position, is progressing (and can progress much further).
«Creating the Beauty that moves the world forward» is the purpose of the L’Oréal Group, which, for more than a century, has been dedicated to offering every person throughout the world the best in beauty in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, transparency and responsibility towards people and the planet. The company’s role in female empowerment and the way it celebrates women in all their roles, ages, vocations and choices is also historic.
I find myself reflecting on all this and immediately dare to draw a parallel between «Creating Beauty that moves the world forward» and the purpose of women in society: to move it forward. In the arts, sciences, politics, social or working rights.
To be a woman is, regardless of age, field, choice or origin, to create beauty every day. It means having in your hands the power and the vocation to, step by step, build knowledge, innovate, change mentalities and, yes, move the world forward. With progress and setbacks, but always with the best we know and have to give: our perfect imperfection.
But being a woman must also be an act of awareness, self-knowledge and respect. Being a woman means being open to the mantra that «there’s room to make mistakes», that perfection lies in versatility and excellence in «Test & Learn» (hadn’t L’Oréal taught me that it’s in making mistakes that we achieve the best, further down the line). And that’s fine. Being a woman isn’t about always being the perfect leader, the perfect mum, the perfect professional, the perfect partner, the perfect «Ana». To be a woman is to be all of these things, shoulder to shoulder with the imperfection of the most challenging days, the tiredness of Fridays, the pressure of the society that surrounds us (and that we ourselves put on society).
The world is racing ahead. And it’s so inspiring how «high creativity», «high knowledge», «high passion»... with the role and power that each one of us, women, has to build, contribute and position, is progressing (and can progress much further).
«Creating the Beauty that moves the world forward» is the purpose of the L’Oréal Group, which, for more than a century, has been dedicated to offering every person throughout the world the best in beauty in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, transparency and responsibility towards people and the planet. The company’s role in female empowerment and the way it celebrates women in all their roles, ages, vocations and choices is also historic.
I find myself reflecting on all this and immediately dare to draw a parallel between «Creating Beauty that moves the world forward» and the purpose of women in society: to move it forward. In the arts, sciences, politics, social or working rights.
To be a woman is, regardless of age, field, choice or origin, to create beauty every day. It means having in your hands the power and the vocation to, step by step, build knowledge, innovate, change mentalities and, yes, move the world forward. With progress and setbacks, but always with the best we know and have to give: our perfect imperfection.
