From Wednesday 5th to Tuesday 11th, 24 European women aged between 20 and 30 have taken part in the Soroptimist Costa del Sol Leadership Academy for Women, an experience focused on personal and professional growth that combined workshops, talks, round tables and other activities.

Among the various activities carried out by this group of women, there was also time for leisure and to explore Mijas in detail through a sightseeing tour. "We have an app that allows them to take a guided tour of Mijas. There are questions, and they have to move from one place to another, providing answers and thus getting to know the town", explained Daphne Theunissen, president of SI Costa del Sol, on Friday 7th of November. She added that the participants had previously visited the beaches of Mijas. On Saturday 8th they visited Malaga City.

On Friday, the tour took them to see some of Mijas' most characteristic sites, such as the Miniature and Folk Museums . They also enjoyed one of the town’s own traditions, going out for tapas. However, the main objective of this academy was personal and professional growth. "It's about finding tools to grow as individuals and become future leaders because we have said that more women are needed in positions in organisations, companies and politics. Women think differently and there is a lack of balance", argued Theunissen.

Leadership and communication

The participants at this academy are clear about the importance of taking part. "It is essential for science and for scientists to know how to communicate, how to lead a group, how to manage emotions, how to manage conflicts... and I couldn't miss it", explained Mari Carmen Banqueri, from Andalusia, who added that "it is a very enriching experience because we are sharing so many things, and we are also getting to know other cultures, interests and each other... t’s been really rewarding for me".

"I'm meeting lots of young women from different European countries. I'm really happy to share their leadership experience, their experience in their country of origin, and also to grow together, working on projects and making an impact on society", said Annika Til, from Germany.

Workshops and talks

Sunday was devoted to various workshops and presentations.

"We are connecting young women who are preparing for the future. These are people who have to lead with heart and empathy. And that is what is lacking in the world today", said Daphne Theunisseh, president of the groups.

"These are women with enormous potential, and being able to contribute even a little to them gives me great satisfaction. What's more, I also learn from them, because we always listen and carry out activities where we share", explained Minerva Quijera, an expert coach in emotional intelligence, leadership and communication, who gave a presentation in which participants learned how to identify their emotions.

"There are situations where we often don't know how to react or we have a default reaction and don't stop to identify our emotions, our thoughts and even situations that make us react that way because of the past, patterns that we can break. It's also a way of getting to know ourselves", reflected Juliana Almendrales, a participant from Granada. The general feeling among the participants is one of satisfaction: "It's been really interesting and I'm growing personally. I'm happy", added Nora Ripa, from the Aran Valley.

Another speaker, Alison Meehan, also shared guidelines for defining who you want to be. "I use the word 'action' for different topics, to organise the types of goals for your future", said the speaker and founder of Costa Women.

International mentoring

In addition, the attendees connected their energies and exchanged experiences with their international mentors. "Everyone will receive nine months of mentoring after the academy. Everything they have learned here will be reinforced during those nine months, and any questions they may have will be answered by their mentor, who will act as a mirror, so that they can talk and understand what is happening, because they are obviously going to go through a process of growth", said the mentoring coordinator and vice-president of SI Costa del Sol, Aura Roderick.

In short, they learned about leadership and how to get the best out of themselves in order to grow personally and professionally, empower themselves and do good in life. "Here we are teaching them that a female leader is not born, but made. We are giving them tools of empathy, love, self-respect and self-confidence to build their own leadership and also to lead each process they find themselves in, enriching today’s world", explained Giovanna Hurtado, who, in addition to being a member of Soroptimist, is the mother of one of the participants.

"I signed up because it’s a unique experience that I’ve never had before and that connects me with all these women, who have so much enthusiasm and the ability to do something good in life", said another participant, Serena Orselli.

Since it was all about taking experiences home with them, each participant brought a small amount of soil from their country to create a 'sun' and then took another handful home as a keepsake

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