Changing the World through Women – Aude De Thuin

The Energy Born of Anger

Aude confided that her overflowing energy primarily comes from anger. An anger born in childhood, when she realized her mother apologized to her father every time a girl was born into their family of six children. This early awareness of injustice forged her determination to change things for women.

This anger, transformed into a driving force, led her to create the Women’s Forum after being rejected from Davos. When she learned that this forum only had 4% women, while they represent half of humanity, she thought: “How can we envision the world of tomorrow without half of humanity?”

The Challenge of Female Entrepreneurship

Despite an equivalent level of education in developed countries today, statistics still show twice as many male entrepreneurs as female. Aude explains this phenomenon by a chronic lack of confidence in many women, an inheritance from an education that did not encourage them to take risks.

But the new generation is changing the game. Today’s young women no longer want to endure what they consider injustices in companies. They ask themselves: “What if I tried?” This evolution is accelerated by digital technology, which allows creation with less initial investment.

The Creation of the Women’s Forum: a Global Ambition

The story of the Women’s Forum’s creation perfectly illustrates Aude’s approach. Rejected from Davos, she immediately decided to create her own forum. From the outset, she aimed for an international scope, aware that the issue of women is universal.

Her intuition told her that a purely French forum would be of no interest. She surrounded herself with experts, including a former director of Davos who told her: “Your project is wonderful, but are you aware that out of 100 speakers, you will only have 10 French women?” She embraced this choice, prioritizing quality and international impact.

Obstacles in Companies

First, the incompatibility between the demands of the consulting world (24/7 availability, constant travel) and the reality that 90% of women in France still manage the family.

Next, the persistent lack of confidence, even at high levels. When a woman is proposed as a board member, she takes courses to prepare. A man never asks himself this question and accepts the position directly.

The Importance of Quotas and Role Models

Although an entrepreneur at heart and not very keen on legal constraints, Aude recognizes that quotas have been necessary. Without the 2011 law on parity in corporate boards, it would have taken 500 years to achieve equality.

She observes that a single woman on a management committee is not comfortable, two begin to support each other, but it is from three that they can truly express themselves. This rule of three is crucial for creating a positive dynamic.

The New Generation and the Evolution of Work

The health crisis and the evolution of work methods are creating new opportunities. Today’s young men have married women with the same degrees and ambitions. They are more inclined to share family responsibilities.

This generational evolution, combined with new work methods (remote work, flexibility), could finally allow for reconciling performance and work-life balance for everyone, men and women alike.

Women’s Time is Coming

Aude observes that everywhere in the world, women’s time is coming. In Africa particularly, where she has worked for seven years with Women in Africa, countries led by women fare better: less corruption, fewer conflicts, more attention to the environment.

Women bring a different and complementary sensibility to that of men. This diversity of perspectives is essential for addressing current challenges: climate change, digital transformation, societal evolutions.

In a nutshell…

Here are the major lessons from this Masterclass with Aude de Thuin:

• Transforming anger into positive energy: Injustices can become a powerful driver for change.

• Daring international ambition: Do not limit yourself to your immediate environment but aim for global impact from the start.

• Creating the conditions for equality: Sometimes, rules (quotas) must be imposed to accelerate necessary changes.

• Leveraging complementarity: The differences between men and women are a richness to be exploited, not an obstacle to overcome.

As the African proverb Aude is fond of says: “Hens know when the day breaks, but they leave it to the rooster to announce it.” Today, the hens themselves are announcing the arrival of the day!

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