How to support women in the modern world? Kompania Piwowarska for the “Kobiety w Centrum” Association

Kompania Piwowarska Supports the “Kobiety w Centrum” (Women at the Center) Association in organizing a series of workshops and lectures under the “I Am Strong And...” slogan taking place in 9 regions of the country. Their goal is to develop professional skills and build self-confidence among women from smaller towns. The training sessions and courses will be led by experienced specialists, including psychologists, businesswomen and banking experts.

“Creating Meaningful Connections” is the overarching purpose of Kompania Piwowarska’s strategic activity, and one of its key areas is serving up positive and inclusive experience for people and society. Within that scope, the leader of the beer market in Poland bets on equality and diversity in its organization by striving for equal representation of women and men in higher managerial positions and actively supporting women in their professional development, among other things. Moreover, the company collaborates with other organizations that share the same values.

– At Kompania Piwowarska, we respect the fact that we are different, believing that differences are the driving force of innovation and creativity. We are building our organizational culture making sure that there is a place for everyone, regardless of gender, age, nationality or religion. The activities of the “Kobiety w Centrum” Association are perfectly aligned with our own goals and approach, aiming to break Polish stereotypes. Thanks to our financial support, this year the association will be able to conduct a series of workshops and lectures for women – comments Iwona Jacaszek-Pruś, Corporate Affairs Director.

The initiatives of the association address women’s needs, especially those living in smaller towns. Its goal is to enable development, build awareness and confidence of women in the modern world. The “I Am Strong And...” program encompasses 25 meetings covering a wide range of topics: from voice emission, personal brand building and negotiations, to financial management, social media activities and self-care. The meetings taking place between February and October 2024 will be led by mentors and specialists who, with passion and dedication, will share their knowledge and experience. These events will be held in 9 Polish voivodeships: Masovia, Łódź, Lubusz, Lublin, Świętokrzyskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Kuyavian-Pomeranian and Warmian-Masurian. Detailed information about the program and the meeting schedule can be found at www.kobietywcentrum.org.pl.

– Our mission is to support women so they do not have to give up anything simply because they are women. During our meetings, we aim to equip them with both specific knowledge and practical skills. We are committed to helping the participants gain confidence in private life, at work and in business, recognizing their potential, its strength, and encouraging them to fully and consciously leverage their resources. Within the framework of our recent project, executed between September 2022 and June 2023, we supported 1,000 women over the course of 17 meetings – says Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, President of the “Kobiety w Centrum” Association.

The “Kobiety w Centrum” Association has been operating since June 2021, focusing on supporting and enhancing the independence and solidarity of women. The initiatives of the association aim to increase the role and number of women in public, political and economic life. The association collaborates with the Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Commission, the Onkocafe and Saystop foundations, and local government authorities. More information about the organization can be found at https://kobietywcentrum.org.pl/

In 2012, Kompania Piwowarska became one of the first companies in Poland to sign the Diversity Charter, an international initiative implemented across 26 European Union countries. The company has its own DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) team dedicated to executing various initiatives. These include training for managers focused on combating bias in the recruitment process – completed by 100% of the managerial staff, and specialized training primarily for women, who are a minority in their departments, addressing career management. As part of inclusion oriented educational activities executed in 2023, around 700 individuals from the commercial function took part in team-building workshops based on the Insights Discovery method. Furthermore, the company collaborates with the LEAD Network, undertaking practical initiatives promoting gender equality. In 2023, 35 managers working for the beer market leader completed the Inclusive Leadership program. The company underwent another LEAD self-assessment, achieving Level 4 on a 5-point scale.

Last year, Kompania Piwowarska celebrated International Women’s Day by organizing meetings in its breweries titled "The Feminine Side of the Brewery", addressed to female students, and ultimately attended by over 120 participants. These events aim to familiarize women with managerial positions in the Technology, Engineering, Sales and Logistics departments. This year, on March 11-14, the company will hold special webinars on key competencies and skills sought in the job market. The link for registration for these online events can be found here.