Minister Mrs. Nerea Melgosa: "Basque Cooperatives observes a dedicated commitment to Equality that must be extended to our entire society"

• At the Villa Suso Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz, a meeting organized by the Superior Council of Cooperatives-CSCE-EKGK and the Confederation of Cooperatives of Euskadi-KONFEKOOP
• "More cooperatives, more equality"

Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2023 03 08

The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government, Mrs. Nerea Melgosa, commented this morning that "Basque Cooperatives observe a dedicated commitment to Equality that must be extended to all of our society: to the rest of business and social organizations, to our families and our collective of students and young people”.

Mrs. Melgosa closed the meeting organized by the Superior Council of Cooperatives-CSCE-EKGK, and the Confederation of Cooperatives of Euskadi-KONFEKOOP, at the Villa Suso Palace in the capital of the Basque Country, on International Women's Day. With the slogan "More cooperatives, more equality", three awards have given to cooperatives and people who have excelled in promoting equality between men and women in their business model: BIDEGINTZA, EDIREN HAZGARRI and Mrs. Leire Mugerza.

In the act, presented by the journalist Mrs. Vanessa Sánchez, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mrs. Idoia Mendia, the president of the Basque Parliament Mrs. Bakartxo Tejería, Mrs. Belén Balerdi, technical general secretary of EKGK, Mrs. Ainhoa Arroitajauregi and representatives of the cooperatives also participated. In Euskadi (Basque Country in original language), there are 3,602 cooperatives, 549 in Araba-Álava, 1,733 in Bizkaia (Biscay) and 1,320 in Gipuzkoa.

“Cooperative has counted since its inception with the presence of women and the need to generate an egalitarian society in which the same opportunities exist. Now, that participation of women and men is multiplying, which in a short time will reach a level of absolute equality. Both in the bulk of your organizations and in their addresses" has pointed out Mrs. Nerea Melgosa.

Ready

The Minister has indicated that “today, women are as prepared as men: in will, training, perseverance and willingness to work as a team. Despite this, we still hear comments about the preponderance of the male role over female talent: that argument is something that we have to banish”.

"This dedicated commitment to Equality of cooperatives must be extended to our entire society: to the rest of the business and social organizations, to our families and to our group of students and young people" stressed Nerea Melgosa.

According to the head of Equality in the Basque Government, “the claim for this March 8 is “Emakumeak gora” and “gora” is “above”, “higher”. The place where we all have to be and share…. At the top of that purple staircase that these days we have placed in many parts of the Basque Country. "Equality" must be synonymous with "sharing": sharing possibilities, options, tasks, the same pay for the same work, the same opportunities for training and promotion in the company... That is equality".

Quality

“The promotion of equality in the business world must be considered, at the same time, as an element of innovation, quality, advanced management and continuous improvement. We need more and more companies to believe in equality and the equal participation of women in their decision-making bodies," Minister detailed.

Melgosa recalled "the new law for equality, the new framework of business commitment in terms of equality and the existence of a more advanced Basque society, at the heart of the European vanguard, which pushes and demands more equality in all areas".

At the end of her speech, the Basque Minister for Equality highlighted that “the Basque cooperative movement is a reference that will multiply if in all its actions it reflects the disappearance of the wage and gender gap. Our youth must see in Cooperatives a business model for the future of Equality”.