The Council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum (Russian
Federation Council), the Roscongress Foundation, the Innosocium Foundation —
the social platform of the Roscongress Foundation, and the Donors Forum held an
online session titled ‘Female Leaders on Corporate Social Responsibility
Priorities after Coronavirus’.
The business session was the launch point for a series
of 12 programme events hosted by the Council of the Eurasian Women’s Forum
(EWF) and the Innosocium Foundation in the run-up to the third EWF ‘Women: A
Global Mission in a New Reality’.
«The role of social institutions is growing
significantly in this new reality in which the modern world finds itself.
However, women are the ones who are inspiring the most socially oriented
initiatives: thanks to their energy and active involvement, programmes are
being implemented in culture and education to support young people and
vulnerable groups of citizens. The Council of the EWF currently faces numerous
significant challenges, but, most importantly, there is an understanding of how
to overcome the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. All the conclusions
and decisions made at the business sessions will be reflected in the programme
of the third Eurasian Women’s Forum», said Yelena
Marinina, coordinator of the Global Platform of the Eurasian Women’s Forum,
Deputy CEO of the Roscongress Foundation, and Director of the Innosocium Foundation.
The online conference was attended by representatives
of government, business, and charity: Galina Karelova, Deputy Chairwoman of the
Russian Federation Council and Chairwoman of the Council for the Development of
Social Innovations of the Russian Federation under the Russian Federation
Council; Natalya Komarova, Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District;
Fatima Mukhomejan, First Deputy Director of the ‘Art, Science, and Sport’
Charitable Foundation; Alexandra Boldyreva, Executive Director of the Donor
Forum; Anna Soshinskaya, President of the Amway Charitable Foundation
‘Responsible for the Future’; Marina Rakova, Vice President of Sberbank;
Alexander Glazkov, Vice President of Biocad; Yelena Pakhomova, Director of
Recruiting, Selecting, and Developing Talent at Mars in Russia; and Anna
Nesterova, Founder and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Global Rus
Trade electronic platform.
During the first online meeting, the speakers
considered changes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) as well as charity
and social institutions in Russia.
In her welcoming speech, Galina Karelova noted the
growing role that women play in CSR.
«Active preparations are already under way for the
third Eurasian Women’s Forum. Its concept is coming together. In the new
reality, the theme of enhancing women’s role in the development of CSR will
undoubtedly occupy a special place on the forum’s agenda. CSR practices in
Russia clearly affirm that women are
the ones leading and driving the development of charity. They are
initiating the creation of specialized departments to develop CSR at companies,
insisting on the inclusion of a sustainable development agenda in their
business strategy, quickly responding to new challenges, and offering effective
systematic solutions. This has been vividly demonstrated in particular during
the pandemic», said Galina Karelova,
Deputy Chairwoman of the Russian Federation Council and Chairwoman of the
Eurasian Women’s Forum.
Many of the participants made note of the changing
level of dialogue between business, government, and NGOs.
«NGOs as well as the authorities in the regions are
significant partners for business, and we are seeing how many companies have
shown understanding and flexibility in terms of adjusting deadlines and reporting
for projects that they supported. Many NGOs and donor organizations themselves
have launched additional programmes that aim to ensure sustainability in the
sector», said Alexandra Boldyreva,
Executive Director of the Donors Forum.
Amendments to the Russian Tax Code have been an
important step in the development of philanthropy in Russia, specifically
amendments to Federal Law No. 172-FZ dated 8 June 2020 «On Amendments to Part
Two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation», which aim to support business
and allow for classifying up to 1 % of proceeds from socially oriented NGOs as
non-operating expenses.
«The pandemic intensified the work of the voluntary
sector and significantly consolidated civil society, while volunteering was
tested with numerous difficulties. In general, this is a resource that helps
get people involved in projects, which is essential for achieving the national
development goals. The amendments that have been signed into law expand our
opportunities for the development of the charitable and non-profit sector», said
Natalya Komarova, Governor of the
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District.
Fatima Mukhomejan, First Deputy Director of the ‘Art, Science, and
Sport’ Charitable Foundation, spoke about the need to develop various tools to
support the work of NGOs: «Positioning charity as a sector of the economy
requires a more professional approach. And it is crucial in this regard to
develop relations between NGOs and the state, which has already shown its
openness and willingness to help. Relations must be established both within the
sector and outside of it. For example, philanthropic support is crucial for
art, science, and sports. These areas are in great need of support in times of
crisis and quarantine, and grants enable institutions to reformat their
activities online and remain in the public eye».
The session participants stressed that, whereas
healthcare has received an adequate level of support from socially oriented
businesses, culture and education, which were not able to avoid the negative
impact of the pandemic, either, were left without proper attention,
unfortunately. In particular, it has become that education has a clear need to
further develop digital skills and IT competencies among teachers as well as
planning and goal-setting skills among students.
«Over three weeks, we have provided an opportunity to
2,234 schools to continue their education using the Sberbank digital platform.
Over three months, we saw key problematic issues in the educational system that
we need to work with. Today, children are forced to plan their day on their
own. As part of updates to the Federal Educational Standards, we will place an
emphasis on increasing the independence of children and the development of
relevant skills among teachers», said Marina
Rakova, Vice President of Sberbank.
As the online meeting concluded, the speakers agreed
that the corporate social responsibility of companies should aim to not only
support social institutions that have been negatively impacted, but also to
improve the working conditions of employees.
Going forward, 11 more business sessions will be held with
Russian female leaders. All of them will take place as part of preparations for
the third Eurasian Women’s Forum, which will be held in September 2021.
