The Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria honored the most inspiring achievements for diversity, equality and inclusion

On November 2, 2023, at the Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia, the importance of the theme of achieving gender equality and promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment in business in Bulgaria was noted during the National Awards ceremony of the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria 2023.

The forum “Inspiring achievements for diversity, equality and inclusion” is being organized for the second time by the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria (WBC) in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB).

“I would like to congratulate the Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria for its outstanding contribution to the promotion of a more inclusive and fair business environment. The European Investment Bank is proud to be a partner in this excellent initiative. Diversity, equality and inclusion are not just ideas, they are guiding principles that ignite creativity, foster innovation and pave the way for a fairer society. It is heartening to see the initiatives submitted by all the competition entrants having an impact far beyond the workplace. They all contribute to a more a prosperous Bulgaria, where every person, regardless of gender, age or minority group, has the opportunity to develop”, says Kyriakos Kakouris, the new vice president of the EIB, who is responsible for the bank’s activities in Bulgaria.

“The number of applications this year exceeded that of last year, and behind this there are at least two positive trends. One is that the awards we award together with our partners from the EIB are becoming more and more recognizable and valued by business and society. The second positive signal, which we see is that b

the swarm of positive examples and initiatives in the direction of diversity, equality and inclusion in general is increasing, which is also one of the strategic goals of our organization”, said Tsvetanka Mincheva, Chairman of the Board of SZHBB and CEO of UniCredit Bulbank.

The ceremony brought together representatives of leading Bulgarian companies and institutions, as well as ambassadors and politicians, who are actively engaged in the promotion of a diverse and inclusive work environment and the prevention of discrimination. This year, 39 organizations and NGOs participated in the competition with a total of 53 inspiring projects. The host of the gala ceremony was the actor Vladimir Penev.

The big winners in the individual categories are:

• Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with the Diversity and Inclusion Program and Yettel Bulgaria with the “Shoulder to Shoulder” project are the big category winners “An inspiring initiative for diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace” – large company section
• Association “Bulgarian Huntington Association” with the project “Support for work activities of people with rare diseases” were awarded as NGOs in the same category
• Lidl Bulgaria in partnership with the “Arete” youth foundation with the “Education: key to success” project, through which young people of Roma origin are distinguished with scholarships for education, and DXC Technology with the “DXC Dandelion” project, aimed at the integration of people on the autistic spectrum are the winners in the second category of the competition “Inspiring initiative to overcome stereotypical attitudes and inclusion of minority groups and people with disabilities”
• FANTASTICO GROUP with the “Future Team” project, aimed at the development of young people in the field of retail, won the prize in the most contested category “Inspiring initiative for integration of young people and realization of their potential in Bulgaria”
• For the second year in a row, L’Oréal Bulgaria triumphs with the National Program “For Women in Science” in the category “Inspiring initiative to empower the next generation of female talent”
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with the program “The Power of Inspiration: HPE Women at Work Bulgaria and Women’s Leadership in Business” won the Special Award for a technology company in the category “Inspiring initiative to empower the next generation of female talent”

The big prize of the organizers – Distinctive sign of SZhBB went to TRANSPRESS with the project “ROAD FOR WOMEN” – perspectives and positives for the career development of women in the transport and logistics sector.

TRANSPRESS is the first Bulgarian transport and logistics company that purposefully develops a strategy for attracting and developing more women in the company and popularizing the idea throughout the industry in our country. The initiative starts at the end of 2021 and continues until today.

The SZHBB National Awards not only recognize those who are committed to removing barriers for women in business, science and the integration of minority groups and people with disabilities, but also highlight the significance of their contributions to business and society.

Congratulations to all entrants, finalists and awardees and to their inspiring projects that help promote the principles of diversity and equality. Each of them plays an important role in achieving our common goal of a better and fairer society.

Sincere thanks to the independent and professional jury, who expressed their support and respect for the participants and their projects. Also, we want to express our gratitude to our sponsors, like-minded people and volunteers who supported us in this important initiative.

Dir.bg is the media partner of the event.