Empowering Women Leaders in the Furniture Sector

The first session of the “Women for Circular Furniture” conference series will take place on November 12, 2025, organised by CETEM within the framework of the CirCLER Project.

This initiative aims to promote female leadership, gender equality, and the transition towards a circular and sustainable economy in the furniture sector.

The event will bring together women leaders and European organisations driving change in the furniture industry, highlighting the role of women professionals in a traditionally male-dominated sector.

Agenda:

The event will open with the Keynote Speech “Leadership skills for women working in traditional industries: challenges and opportunities”, delivered by Raquel Ortega Martínez (CETEM), who will introduce the central themes of the webinar and offer reflections on the topic.

This will be followed by the presentation of several key European initiatives and tools that promote inclusion and circular innovation:

• ForGEDI: Course on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion
  Todora Rogelja, International Union of Forest Research Organizations
  
• FLIER - The Future of Furniture: Circular Furniture
  Irene Burroni, Experimental Centre for Furniture and Furnishings
  
• Be-WoodEN – Building and Education in Wood Ecosystem for the New European Bauhaus
  Marta Casanova, University of Genoa - Department of Architecture and Design; Mariachiara Santoro - winner project design competition
  
• Pact for Skills - Lombardy
  Lucia Devescovi, FederlegnoArredo
  
• Women in construction, wood and forestry: A Resource Toolkit for Gender Equality at Work
  Paula Cravina de Sousa, European Federation of Building and Woodworkers
  
  

The webinar marks the beginning of a broader initiative aimed at empowering women in leadership roles and fostering collaboration among organisations that support the circular economy transition in the furniture sector.

According to Raquel Ortega from CETEM: “Through this series of events, we aim to give visibility to women leading sustainable innovation in the furniture industry and to build a network of leaders shaping a more inclusive and circular future”.

Registration is required on Zoom.