A Walk With.. Olivia Manse
A 50/50 division between men and women on the Erasmus University Rotterdam – that’s the ambition of the Female Entrepeneur Fund, a part of the Stichting Erasmus Trustfonds that focuses on research to gender equality. And as it turns out, they have quite some work to do: currently only 21% of professors at the university is female.
We discuss that gap today with Olivia Manse, management trainee at Ahold Delhaize and founding donor of the fund. As we walk along the Kralingse Plas, Olivia explains more about how the fund was founded and in which ways it contributes to gender equality. One way, for example, is by creating a list of female speakers from all industries and disciplines. This way, students will more often be faced with women and female students can more easily identify role models. Because of the donors behind the fund, currently 28 but they aim at 100, she can also contribute to research about gender equality by promovendi and researchers at the university. By doing so, the fund contributes to diversity in both the academic and the business world.
Role model
When she is asked who her role model is, Olivia takes some time to think. She concludes: the founders of the fund. Each of them are strong women who reached the top in their own way. A true inspiration to Olivia and more women her age. It is because of these role models that Olivia devotes so much time and energy to gender equality.
See the full interview to find out how Olivia and the fund want to be an example for institutions and universities all over the world.
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