Energa’s can do attitude abounds as the first training session is completed under the program “Giełda jest kobietą” (“Stock Investing Is Women’s Business”)

Currently, every fifth individual investor is a woman. Although it is true that the percentage of female investors has been climbing steadily since 2010, the pace of growth is nevertheless unsatisfactory. The Ministry of the State Treasury and Energa resolved to change this by launching a series of training courses entitled "Giełda jest kobietą" (“Stock Investing Is Women’s Business”). The kickoff was on 17 March 2015 in the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s Trading Room. The number of women participating confirms that there is no shortage of Polish women willing to embark on a stock market adventure. The next training sessions will take place in the near future in Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk – declarations of participation are currently being accepted.

The idea underlying this undertaking is to expand the knowledge entrepreneurial Polish women have about investing on the stock market and augmenting their belief in themselves. For this purpose training sessions in Poland’s four largest cities were planned with women who are capital market experts being involved in their delivery.

“During the five years of the program entitled "Civic Shareholdership" individual investors have opened nearly one million investor accounts. And that is something positive because not only institutions but also citizens are showing an interest in business life and they are aware that the stock exchange is a venue where you can generate a good profit”, said Włodzimierz Karpiński, Minister of the State Treasury during the opening of the training session. “What is saddening however is the fact that women account for only 17% of individual investors. In its activity, including this specific campaign, the Ministry of the State Treasury is endeavoring to give due consideration to very equitable and obvious facts, from the vantage point of economic development, stating that women are more reasonable, more disciplined and more concrete in their decision making”, added Włodzimierz Karpiński, Minister of the State Treasury during the opening of the training session in the Warsaw Stock Exchange’s Trading Room.

Paweł Tamborski, CEO of WSE was of a similar opinion. He stated that there is no reason for women not to be successful on the capital market. “Some say that women are less inclined to take risk, which in my opinion means that they are able to make better calculations. That is an exceptionally important thing when investing on the stock market”, he added.

The kickoff also included a keynote address delivered by Wojciech Topolnicki, Vice-President of the Management Board of Energa SA, who expressed his satisfaction with the fact of being able to lend support to two different initiatives on the same day: the "Civic Shareholdership" program in which Energa has been participating since its IPO and the idea of "Giełda jest kobietą" (“Stock Investing Is Women’s Business”). “60% of Energa’s managers are women, amply showing that this is doable. I would like to wish all concerned to take this approach to business in other sectors of industry”, he stated in summation of his keynote address in reference to the statistics cited above.

Well-known and highly-valued capital market experts who are women delivered the training session entitled "Giełda jest kobietą" (“Stock Investing Is Women’s Business”). Doctor Iwona Sroka, President of the National Securities Depository (KDPW) conveyed the fundamental knowledge women who are beginning investors should have. In 2011 she was number 31 of 50 outstanding female managers in the ranking entitled „Tiaras of Management” and published by Polish Market. Agata Gawin, Deputy Director of the Raiffeisen Brokerage House provided insight on the practical aspects of investing capital, such as opening an investment account and submitting orders.

In turn, Maja Goettig, President of the Analysis and Rating Institute operating under the Warsaw Stock Exchange and a member of the Economic Council shared her secrets of how to select your own investment strategy with the women participating in the workshop. Time was also spent on the psychological aspects of investing, including the inclination to take risk and deal with stress. Maria Rotkiel, psychologist addressed these issues. In turn, during her speech Olga Kozierowska, creator of the project entitled "Sukces Pisany Szminką" (“Success Written in Lipstick”) motivated the women participating to believe in their own success being guided in their lives by the single principle of "acting despite fear".

Please watch the video taken during the training session:

http://gpwmedia.pl/wiadomosci/14986/gielda_jest_kobieta_w_warszawie/