Kamilla Sultanova’s Post

I read all sorts of interesting things every day. Perhaps it’s a few chapters of whatever book I’m into (currently Putin’s People by Catherine Belton). Or a report on Feminist Climate Justice that I saved in my bookmarks several weeks ago, waiting for that right time to dive in. Or even a long message from a friend on WhatsApp, sharing work frustrations about hierarchies in a project. Lots of this reading often has one thing in common — it’s often about women, or linked to women in some way. Our experience of the world, our contributions to history, the sacrifices we’ve made, the way we’re often written out, but the brilliance we bring nonetheless. I am fascinated by gender, and gender equality, and all stories and ideas that surround it. That fascination has shaped much of my experience so far — what I read and studied as a teenager, my volunteer internships at the National Alliance of Women's Organisations and the Women's Fund in Georgia in my early twenties, the choice of specialisation on my master’s course, my DEI work at MCV, and so on. And I’d like it to become much more. I’ve recently left my role at Mercy Corps Ventures, after 3 very fulfilling and varied years, because I wanted more space to lean into this passion. I want to work on gender — specifically, women’s economic empowerment — and use the skills I’ve developed to make a difference. And inevitably, as part of my search for a new role, I’m coming across so many more things to read! My bookmarks are overflowing with interesting webinars and articles and links to more people I want to meet and learn from. So I decided it might be useful to help myself digest some of this information by sharing a few musings on it in written form. You can follow me on Medium (my first post is here: https://lnkd.in/ev4AVu4V) or I'll be posting links here periodically over the coming weeks. These are not world-shaking ideas or transformative agendas for change — they’re just my reflections on a seriously important conversation about how we can truly give women equal rights and empower them to transform the world. If you find them interesting, send me a message and let’s chat!

Beyond Comfort ✨ Can you believe it's already February? It feels like the year is moving at lightning speed. As part of my commitment to personal growth, I've challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and explore new horizons. One of the most transformative experiences has been delving into technical skills – a realm that initially seemed daunting but has since become a source of profound learning and discovery. From coding to exploring the nuances of digital marketing, each new skill has not only broadened my expertise but also enriched my perspective on innovation and attention to detail. But the journey doesn't end there. Stepping out of my comfort zone has had a ripple effect, influencing every aspect of my life – from how I communicate with others to how I approach challenges. It's a reminder that growth happens outside of our comfort zones, pushing us to adapt, learn, and evolve. However, amidst this journey of personal growth, I've also been confronted with the harsh realities that persist in our society. Recent events have highlighted the ongoing struggles faced by women, underscoring the need for collective action in challenging patriarchal norms and advocating for gender equality. As I continue to navigate these challenges and embrace growth, I invite you to join me in stepping out of your comfort zone. Together, we can foster a culture of learning, empathy, and inclusivity, paving the way for a brighter future for all. (Picture is from SONGA) #PersonalGrowth #ComfortZone #Inclusivity #GenderEquality

Last Friday was International Women's Day, let's take a moment to honor the incredible contributions of women in the workplace. 🎉💼 From breaking barriers to shattering glass ceilings, women have played an integral role in shaping industries and driving innovation. Their resilience, creativity, and leadership continue to inspire us all. 💪👩💼 However, our work towards gender equality is far from over. We must strive for inclusive workplaces where every woman has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of gender, race, or background. It's not just about diversity; it's about fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. 🌈✨ This Women's Day, let's pledge to: 👩🔬 Support women in STEM fields and encourage young girls to pursue their passions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 👩💻 Advocate for equal pay and fair opportunities for career advancement. 👩🎓 Mentor and uplift the next generation of female leaders. 👩👧👦 Foster a culture of respect, inclusivity, and allyship in the workplace. Together, we can create a brighter, more equitable future for all. To every woman making a difference, today and every day! 🌟💖

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸'𝘀 𝗜𝗪𝗗 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: 𝗠𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 ✊🏽 The week started with a Berlin Boss Babes Corporate Healing workshop, activating the power of collective healing and turning adversities into strength. We delved into personal challenges, crafting actionable, bite-sized strategies for individual and communal change. Learning: We need to prioritize concrete actions over mere discourse to create actual change. Mid-week: A keynote on unconscious bias at Vinted. Sharing personal anecdotes and admitting to my own biases, my talk was an open invitation to embrace this deeply embedded mechanism (that we inherited from our ancestors who depended on it for survival) with curiosity and self-compassion. Learning: Acknowledging our own biases, often perceived as shameful or embarrassing, is the essential first step toward fostering an inclusive workplace culture, and there's no way around it. At Seven Senders, I hosted a roundtable discussion on the challenges women face in male-dominated sectors. Learning: Allyship (or the lack thereof) makes or breaks gender equality. We need to apply nuanced understandings of allyship and have open dialogues on how both men and women can support each other, moving beyond traditional rescue dynamics to empower individuals to advocate for themselves. For Elli - A Brand of the Volkswagen Group, I facilitated a thought-provoking gender fishbowl workshop aimed at unveiling gender-based dynamics and biases. Learning: Vulnerability and openness provides profound insights into how societal expectations shape our identities as men and women and become barriers in adulthood. We have the ability 𝘢𝘯𝘥 responsibility to redefine those expectations for a more equitable society and workplace. The week culminated at the Rising Pineapples conference, where I joined a panel of changemakers. We discussed the challenges of going against the grain and the fulfillment that comes from seeing impactful results. Learning: As changemakers we need to connect with our inner child and play 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡—act swiftly with courage, learn that fear is often unfounded, and grow stronger through repeated action. Reflecting on the week, each event was a unique opportunity for me to offer insights not only into the challenges women face across various spheres but also into the collective strength and resilience that emerge when we support and understand one another, no matter the gender. IWD is now behind us but we need to keep doing the work, plan realistic and actionable steps, have honest conversations, embrace vulnerability, and show courage and determination, even when it's hard. Photo credit: Mira Hegedis

Wisdom is the ability to retain our passion, innocence, faith, hope, and naive optimism even as we get older. It’s easy to be all of these things when we’re young. When we haven’t seen much of the world. When we’re starting our first job, first company, or just entering an industry. When we first discover a new city, or first fell in love. It’s easy to be passionate, creative, hopeful, idealistic, optimistic. As we get older and more mature, we get to see more. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly. We get to see REALITY. Suddenly it’s no longer as easy to be all of those things. * The architect who dreamed of creating beautiful, useful, sustainable spaces is soon needing to squeeze as many units into the building as possible so it can be profitable. * That city that you loved for tolerance and diversity? Turns out it takes forever to get permits to renovate your home. * Wanna be a good manager and leader and build a transparent culture at work? Yup, soon the company is bigger and you’re told that you need to do secret 1:1 meetings to get buy-in before the actual meeting. * Entrepreneurship used to be about crazy folks willing to push the boundaries and building things to solve important problems. What’s our impression of entrepreneurs now? * That community you fell in love with because you felt like you belonged? Go deep enough and you’ll get to see all the drama, conflict, and tension behind the scenes. I’m not saying ignore reality and live with your heads in the clouds. That doesn’t work. But, most people get the passion, creativity, and optimism beaten out of them. They go the other way and become completely jaded. Then, “It’s just another project. Let’s just get this over and done with.” “The system/company is doomed. Why bother. I can’t do anything.” “This fight for gender equality will never end. 50 years from now women and girls will still be unsafe walking down the streets in many parts of the world. What’s the point?” Again, it’s easy for us to be passionate, creative, hopeful, and optimistic when we first start out. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽 — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 *𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲* 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. This doesn’t happen by chance. 1 - We have to ACCEPT the sad realities. 2 - We have to still CHOOSE hope despite “reality”. To do, it’s so important we keep looking for the glimmers. We keep looking for “right”. That to me is, wisdom. Much needed in our world. Have you had someone in your life who was genuinely optimistic despite the odds? What impact did that have on you? As you mature, whatever your job is, what kind of leader do you want to be? #wisdom #personalgrowth #leadership #resilience #optimism #coaching Disney heroine, Asha, fights to keep the dreams of her fellow villagers alive and help them own them.

𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝! let's take a moment to think about how far women have come in many areas, leading the world with their skills, determination, and new ideas. Here are some amazing numbers and facts about what women have done:  (1) Empowering women economically means that more and more women are running businesses and starting their businesses. There are about 252 million women entrepreneurs in the world, and their businesses are growing at a rate of 5% per year. (2) Leadership - Women are breaking down hurdles to get into leadership positions. As of 2023, women are in charge of 29 countries as heads of state or government, and they hold 26.1% of parliamentary places around the world, which is a big jump from previous years. (3) STEM Advancement - Women are leading the way in new ideas in the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering, and math. In 2022, 35% of all bachelor's degrees given around the world were to women in STEM fields. This shows that more and more women are working in these important fields. (4) Education Level - In many areas, women continue to do better in school than men, with higher participation and graduation rates. As of 2022, 53% of university graduates around the world are women, showing that women are becoming more and more dominant in higher education. (5) Effects on society - Women are leading the way in making society better. Women are at the front of global groups that are making real progress, like those fighting for human rights, gender equality, and protecting the environment. On this Women's Day, let's honor the amazing things women have done around the world and reaffirm our pledge to make the world a better place for everyone. Let's give women the tools they need to go even further and chart a better course for today and tomorrow. Let's celebrate women's rights and equality. #womensday2024 #womenempowerment #womensdayspecial

Happy International Women's Day! 🌍✨ Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of women around the world, and I'd like to give a special nod to the trailblazers in STEM. 🚀💻 This day serves as a powerful reminder of the strides we've made towards gender equality, but also highlights the journey ahead. In STEM, where women have historically been underrepresented, every step forward is a victory for diversity, innovation, and global progress. Let's take a moment to applaud the incredible women scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians who pave the way for future generations. Their resilience, creativity, and brilliance inspire a more inclusive and balanced world. But the work is far from over. As we celebrate, let's remember that there are still plenty who wish to see us fail. While we try to climb in our careers and personal lives, at the same time, our rights are constantly being assaulted and challenged. Bullies harass us both online and in person. And it will never completely stop. All we can do is come together to make their voices smaller. Here's to more women in STEM, to more role models, and to a future where gender is no barrier to success. 🚀

I’m always shocked by the assumptions that surround women and STEM. I distinctly remember when, as a freshman at MIT, someone saw me proudly wearing my school hoodie and asked, “Oh, your boyfriend goes to MIT?”   In that moment, I felt like my hard work and future goals were dismissed. And it wasn’t the last time I heard such comments.   How can we change this dynamic? How do we inspire young minds and empower women leaders in STEM to break through glass ceilings? 💡 Challenge assumptions whenever we encounter them. By speaking up and highlighting the accomplishments of women in STEM, we shift the narrative and create a more inclusive environment for all. 💪 Celebrate the trailblazing women who came before us and shattered stereotypes. Their contributions have been invaluable in breaking down barriers and opening doors for women like me. 🌟 Commit to making STEM more welcoming and accessible to women and girls – by reading to our kids about women scientists, mentoring future women leaders, or advocating for gender equality in the workplace. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, let's celebrate the incredible achievements of women in STEM and continue to drive progress. Each of us has a role to play in creating a more equitable and inclusive future. #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInScience #IWD2024

Many people asked me how you include what the world needs into the business. I will share how I did! I wanted to keep my #purpose that is to elevate humanity’s consciousness. (It was to bring meaning to the work of my teams) I wanted to share what I do best - lead people, work strategically and take the best out human beings even when faced with complexity. I wanted to support the acceleration of the GSD’s (previously was the 3.0 healthcare and I had to find a new one) Founding @workcoherence came as common place for all of them! What I could do is to spread my learnings of being a life long learner and leading focused on people and the benefit of society. I checked all SDGs and its targets, and when I saw the 4.7* I knew I could help here! But I could help further - besides the students, I could help the “grown-ups” in the companies - through their leaders! Today all I do is based on my purpose and I measure it by observing my clients, friends, family, how their thoughts include this sustainable lifestyle promoting peace, non violence, celebrating diversity and global citizenship! Makes sense to you? How can you live a life where you intentionally support the acceleration of the Global Development Goals? We all can! *4.7 by 2030 ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development Part of Goal 04. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all Let's discuss below how we can actively contribute to these goals. Share your actions and ideas! #LaraBezerra #WorkCoherence #LaraReflections #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalGoals #EducationForAll #Peace #Diversity #Inclusion https://lnkd.in/dv9A8scs

This year's IWD theme is to inspire inclusion, but what does that really mean? At LinkedIn Learning, we've seen a surge in searches related to gender, equity, and inclusion, with "gender equality" searches up 800% in the past month alone. It's clear that people are eager to learn how to make a difference in the workplace. Our LinkedIn Learning instructors have some powerful insights on how to make inclusion happen in meaningful ways. Here are some key takeaways: - It starts with education: We need to learn about the issues and understand what it means to be inclusive. - Listen and learn: We need to listen to diverse perspectives and experiences to truly understand how to create an inclusive environment. - Take action: We need to actively work towards creating a more inclusive workplace, whether that means advocating for change, speaking up against injustice, or simply being a supportive colleague. What can you do at the individual level to promote inclusion? Start by educating yourself and actively seeking out diverse perspectives. And remember, inclusion is an ongoing journey that requires continuous effort. Let's all work together to create a more inclusive world. #IWD2021 #InspiringInclusion https://lnkd.in/dggPSb53