Aurubis Bulgaria presented the Women4Metals initiative for supporting women in the metallurgical sector

"Aurubis Bulgaria presented the Women4Metals initiative aimed at promoting equality, inclusion, teamwork and professional development. The opening event of Women4Metals in Bulgaria brought together representatives from the industry, the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and local communities from the Srednogorie region, as well as employees from Aurubis Bulgaria. Among the guests were Moritz Seiler, Head of the Economic Department at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Ms Milena Georgieva, Deputy Executive Director of the National Employment Agency.

"I'm so pleased to see such a diversity of guests from near and far. This event is special because it unites us around a common idea. We all share similar values around attracting more women into this seemingly not so attractive industry for the fairer sex. The Women4Metals initiative was created with the mission to provide opportunities for women in metals, and to promote equality and diversity," said Tim Kurth, CEO of Aurubis Bulgaria.

"Some time ago, Germany launched a campaign in our foreign policy aimed at women and what Aurubis is doing here today is a great example that illustrates our values and our vision for everyone to have equal rights and equal opportunities in all sectors and in all areas of business. We believe that our shared values should be followed in every unit and in the way we treat people, in the places where they work," said Moritz Sailer.

At the event, Stephanie Klein and Tania Winter from the Aurubis Group, founders of the initiative, shared the inspiring story behind Women4Metals and in a discussion with Dr. Emanuela Manolova, Business Development Manager - Iron Silicate and the face of the initiative in Bulgaria, outlined the opportunities for the development of women in metallurgy and beyond.
"The initiative works best in direct contact. We meet the women in the production itself, in person, to share what they are passionate about in the professional sphere and beyond," said Tania Winter.

"We strive to develop a platform that will involve women and make them feel good about their workplace," added Stephanie Klein.
In a lively discussion the participants shared their experiences and views on the place of women in different professional fields and their career development.

Dr. Mariana Cholakova, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Plovdiv, pointed out that women have the qualities to cope with tasks, solve problems and be successful.

"The labour market in our country manages to preserve its good traditions and I thank Aurubis for creating such initiatives that show that business and industry in our country are developing. In Bulgaria we have the opportunity to enjoy a very good position of women in the labour market," said Milena Georgieva, Deputy Director of the National Employment Agency.
Zlatka Kaneva, Mayor of Dusantsi, who is the Women4Metals ambassador for the region, also participated in the discussion.

Uniting for the mission of affirmation, cooperation, teamwork and development are some of the goals outlined by Dr. Emanuela Manolova. These values are the reason why Aurubis' initiative is supported beyond the metallurgical sector, such as education, government institutions, businesses, and organizations.

The initiative was launched in 2019 by the Aurubis Group in Germany and is open to all who value inclusion, teamwork and work-life balance.