The University of Navarra and the Confederación Empresarial Navarra (CEN) have signed a partnership agreement to facilitate the training in equality of the people and companies associated with CEN through the Online Course of training in Equality that the academic centre teaches. The agreement was signed by Álvaro Balibrea, General Manager of the University of Navarra, and Carlos Fernández Valdivielso, University Secretary of the Confederación Empresarial Navarra. Also present at the signature were María Cruz Díaz de Terán, director of the course; Julia Pavón, dean of the School of Philosophy y Letras, the centre on which the course depends; Cristhian Mestre, director of development of the School; and Roberto Cabezas, director of the Foundation business University of Navarra-Career Services.

The CEN is the third entity with which the University of Navarra subscribes this agreement to promote training in equality in companies, after the Spanish Confederation of Centres teaching (CECE) and the National Confederation of Women in Equality. Since its launch in September 2021, more than 700 people have taken the course, which will celebrate its fourth edition next May.

Keys to drawing up an equality plan in organisations

With a duration of four weeks, the Online Course of training in Equality will allow those who participate to acquire the previous fundamentals for the elaboration of the equality plan in organisations, as well as to access core topic issues related to subject. Aimed primarily at organisations with a workforce of fifty or more people which, according to Royal Decree-Law 6/2019 of 1 March, must draw up and implement an equality plan, it is also open to companies wishing to obtain the seal of distinction in equality or to access certain subsidies and public tenders, as well as to people interested in training on this issue. The course is offered asynchronously, which allows student body to follow the syllabus flexibly.

The University Secretary of CEN, Carlos Fernández Valdivielso, has valued the agreement as "a very interesting opportunity for our associated companies, not only because of the obligation to have an equality plan in entities with a workforce of 50 people or more, but also because we can offer them tools to access the elaboration of these plans with solid knowledge in the subject". "Equality is something that undoubtedly improves business and its competitiveness", she added. For her part, María Cruz Díaz de Terán, coordinator of the course, pointed out that training in equality "provides many keys to detecting discriminatory situations in different areas and financial aid to raise awareness of the lack of effective equality of opportunities between women and men. Although much has been achieved, there is still a long way to go".