IWD II : We have to work hard to find our place as competition is always going to be very strong: Elisa Robles Fraga, Director- Spain Tourism Board, India

Elisa Robles Fraga, Director- Spain Tourism Board, India and Tourism Counsellor – Embassy of Spain. India opines that women need to be empowered through gender equality strategies. She says Targeted interventions by public and private actors can help to promote decent work for women in all economic sectors.

How important is IWD for you and why?

I believe it’s globally an important day for all of us, men and women. It commemorates all the efforts developed by previous and present generations of women to get a prominent place in the society, politics and professional world. In my case, I have to say that my sisters and myself had the same opportunities to study as our brothers, but this was not always the case in all families or in all societies and countries. It is important not to forget that many women are still struggling to overcome difficult situations in many areas. Targeted interventions by public and private actors can help to promote decent work for women in all economic sectors and IWD has to raise awareness and foster these kinds of efforts.

Do you really think that women, in a fast-changing technology and modern age, needs empowerment? How did you develop confidence in yourself?

I believe we have to work hard to find our place as competition is always going to be very strong – both for men and women. One gets confidence through experience and hard work. So, I think this is the best formula to achieve our own goals! And of course, I do believe that women need to be empowered through gender equality strategies. Sometimes you need to create a conducive environment too, so that women from all the strata of society receive equal opportunities. New technologies can help but they can also increase the divide.

While women constitute 54% of the work force in global travel, tourism and hospitality industry. This percentage is abysmally low at the top level?

Women constitute most of the tourism workforce worldwide, but still they are mainly concentrated in low-level employment. But I do believe that this situation is changing rapidly with many women having great vision, excellent strategies, and willingness to put in the required hard work. The tourism sector indeed offers excellent opportunities for women’s entrepreneurship than the broader economy.

What sort of challenges do you face at workplace as well as balancing work-family life?

We all face challenges at workplace. To overcome these challenges, we need teamwork, a lot of planning and at the same time, sharing of responsibilities at home. I believe that no single job is more important than the others. We have to consider that the modern life is dynamic, situations change rapidly, and adaptation is essential.

One school of thought suggest that women themselves are one of the hindrances in the growth of the women. What is your take on this?

It is very difficult to generalize. Situations depend on many factors: political, cultural, societal as well as economic. I don’t think women are the ones to be considered the main barriers to/for other women. On the contrary, I have always experienced that woman can readily empathize with colleagues, men, or women.

What are your suggestions to younger generation?

Study hard, prepare yourself thoroughly and take each job and task very seriously. Be ready to learn from all circumstances, specially from your failures and mistakes. And of course, as I have already mentioned, teamwork is essential. You need to be professional to achieve your goals, but sometimes it is also important to look at the bigger picture and work towards what is the optimum solution for everyone.