SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 3 Jul. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Tenerife Island Council, via the Island Foundation for Training, Employment, and Business Development (Fifede), presented the ‘We Stand with Them Awards’ on Tuesday afternoon at the Adán Martín Auditorium in Tenerife.
Attending the event were Rosa Dávila, the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Efraín Medina, the Minister of Employment and Education, and Maria Brito, the Mayor of Candelaria and President of Fecam.
Dávila highlighted the ongoing importance of the battle for equality across all sectors to achieve a fairer society and commended the courage and determination of the award recipients.
“This initiative fills us with pride and underscores the strength and significance of solidarity, dedication, and the struggle for gender equality in our society. It is crucial to recognise the individuals, organizations, businesses, and institutions that serve as role models because they pave the way, shatter barriers, highlight women’s talent, and empower them,” she expressed.
Efraín Medina, on his part, emphasised that these awards, now in their seventh edition, aim to honour the efforts made by individuals, groups, companies, organizations, or institutions that have contributed significantly to promoting and excelling in advocating for equal rights and opportunities between men and women in the workforce.
The San Bartolomé de Tejina Distillery won in the business category, while the Inserta Empleo Association won in the social entity category.
Additionally, Rita Calero and her project ‘More Woman and More Woman Awards’ received a special recognition for showcasing the talent of Canarian women, ever since the inception of her journey with the magazine ‘More Canarian Woman’ in 2015.
In the business category, the Cabildo acknowledged the San Bartolomé de Tejina Distillery for its dedication to dismantling stereotypes and having a female director in a predominantly male sector. It was also noted that the distillery shattered the glass ceiling, serving as a prime example of the significance of women in leadership roles and decision-making arenas.
The distillery remains a benchmark today, employing 36 individuals, and its brands Guajiro, Aguere, and Cocal – representing Cooperativa Canaria de Aguardientes y Licores, one of the factory’s former names – continue to symbolize quality and tradition, present in most social gatherings and dining establishments, according to a statement from the Cabildo.
Tatiana Morales, the managing director of the current phase of the Tejina Distillery, is hailed as “one of the few women excelling in this male-dominated spirits industry, shattering stereotypes, and envisioning the future with numerous projects that she fervently shares with her dedicated team focused on the innovative outlook of the Distillery, where they release 750,000 bottles annually,” the corporation mentioned.
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In the social entity category, the award was bestowed upon the Inserta Empleo Association for its efforts in promoting the employment of women with disabilities who are victims of gender violence and achieving actual figures of job placements.
Women with disabilities, victimized by gender-based violence, are the core focus of the ‘Women in Mode ON VG’ project which was initiated in 2019 by the ONCE Foundation and Inserta Empleo with the backing of the European Social Fund. The programme aims to combat gender violence against women with disabilities, providing tailored interventions to facilitate their social and professional integration.
All participating women highlight the project as the primary resource they have gained concerning gender-based violence victims.
Nationally, a total of 645 contracts were established, with 56 contracts in the Canary Islands and 28 job placements in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The panel of judges for the ‘We Stand with Them Awards’ comprised Maite Salazar Laplace, Director of People, Organization, and Quality at Puertos de Tenerife; Eduardo Bezares Carretero, Chief Executive of CEOE-Tenerife; Sarai Rodríguez González, PhD graduate from the University of La Laguna; David Prunell, hailing from the Iriarte University; María Concepción Brito, President of the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities, and Gregorio Fernando Hernández Pérez, Director of CIFP Las Indias.