March 20 (SeeNews) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) have launched a joint corporate governance training initiative in Southeast Europe (SEE), aimed at promoting female participation on boards, the lender said.
The programme, initially developed in Croatia by global consultancy Deloitte as part of an EBRD collaboration in 2020 and 2021, will now be adapted in Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania, the EBRD said in a statement on Friday.
The initiative supports emerging business leaders, regardless of their gender, with training courses related to board effectiveness, including advisory services, business coaching, mentoring and networking. It aims to increase female representation on corporate boards and develop the business community in the region.
"One of CIPE’s priorities in Europe is to advance leadership by women in the commercial sector to support the wider goal of economic inclusion. We are delighted to partner with the EBRD and its rich legacy of promoting gender inclusion in the region to strengthen corporate governance training among women entrepreneurs in south-eastern Europe," CIPE's European programme director Jeff Lightfoot said.
CIPE was established in 1983 as an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with the aim of supporting democratic and economic development abroad through programmes with private sector partners, notably chambers of commerce and business associations, as well as think tanks and journalists.