The Federation Council signed several agreements with companies and business associations at the Eurasian Women’s Forum stand during SPIEF.
The stand of the Eurasian Women’s Forum (EWF) at the 28th St Petersburg International Economic Forum promotes the role of women in Russia and focuses on creating conditions for women to fully realise their capabilities, including career, motherhood and family.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko stressed the EWF stand’s importance and relevance when she spoke during SPIEF: “Every year, we launch new agreements, projects and partnerships with major state corporations, businesses, and public organisations. It is a good mechanism for the ideas, initiatives and proposals originating at the Eurasian Women’s Forums. All these projects focus on the national development goals approved by the President of Russia,” she said.
The Speaker added that it is crucial for the Federation Council to expand its international cooperation. “We actively cooperate with APEC, BRICS, Women 20, all of them being a great source of experience and large joint projects.”
The Speaker and Russian senators attended the signing of agreements focused on developing women’s creative and entrepreneurial potential. According to the Speaker, EWF projects offer women opportunities to participate in a broad range of fields; they address demographic issues, family policies, health, and social projects. “As a result, a great number of new professional women’s communities, from pharmaceuticals, light industry to the nuclear and space industries were estsblished.”
The Federation Council Speaker and Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Bakanov signed a cooperation agreement that promotes long-term and effective forms of cooperation across joint projects and initiatives. Such projects and initiatives are expected to support women in engineering and other technical fields, and to improve conditions for women’s professional growth in the digital economy.
Dmitry Bakanov specified that women currently account for up to 43 percent of workers in the space industry. Moreover, 340,000 young women are studying engineering.
Another agreement, signed by Valentina Matvienko and President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergei Katyrin, facilitates the improvement and promotion of better workplace conditions for women managing both professional and family commitments. It will enable the expansion of effective practices to support young mothers among employers across Russia.
Valentina Matvienko emphasised the need for state and corporate policies to adopt a family-oriented approach, ensuring women can pursue professional ambitions and career growth while fulfilling their family and childcare responsibilities. “Working together with the Government, we have developed a corporate demographic standard. All companies, big and small, must establish their internal regulations that create family-oriented conditions. An agreement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry will engage the Chamber in addressing this essential issue.”
The Federation Council Speaker also noted the contribution of the Leaders for Women’s Interests competition. “This competition highlights exemplary corporate social policies and serves as an incentive for others to adopt leading companies’ practices. This approach is embedded in our agreement with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” Valentina Matvienko said.
President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin stressed that the project prioritises both professional development of highly qualified personnel and family support. With representation across 350 Russian cities, the Chamber will facilitate nationwide implementation of this programme, according to the President of the Chamber.
Agreements with businesses were also signed during SPIEF.
Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Inna Svyatenko and Yelena Zhidkova, Director of the Central Directorate of Public Healthcare at Russian Railways, closed a cooperation agreement to advance public health legislation and strengthen regional healthcare systems. This includes developing joint policy measures for non-communicable disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. These prospective measures are included in the respective agreement that particularly focuses on expanding access to quality medical services in remote areas and promoting healthy lifestyle.
A cooperation agreement between the Eurasian Women’s Forum Council under the Federation Council and VTB Medicine is to improve the quality and prestige of Russian medical services. As Chair of the EWF Council Galina Karelova noted, the primary goal is to develop medical tourism. The cooperation areas under the agreement include systematising, promoting and implementing best Russian practices, including effective marketing, logistics solutions, and models of cooperation between healthcare providers and tourism operators.