Carlota Planas and Quiero Trabajo Foundation: winners of the Esade Alumni ‘Women Forward Awards’
The Esade alumni association awarded the Women Forward Awards to Carlota Planas, athlete agent, Unik Sports founder and former indoor soccer player in recognition of her career, and to the Quiero Trabajo Foundation for its commitment to gender equality. The award ceremony was held during the Third Annual Conference of the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club, with Eugenia Bieto, president of the club and former general director of Esade (2010-2018), and Patricia Valentí, director of Esade Alumni, taking part alongside other leading figures. The psychologist, writer and communicator Isabel Rojas Estapé was the keynote speaker with a talk about female leadership, emotional well-being and personal advancement at work.
The jury highlighted Carlota Planas “key role in furthering gender equality in sport. She has been a pioneer in raising awareness and representing professional female soccer players, breaking down barriers in an industry traditionally dominated by men.” The jury also praised her commitment to fairer contracts and better working conditions for female players, “thereby ensuring that they are treated like real professionals.” Carlota’s work, the jury added, “transcends the sporting field, because she promotes equity, challenges gender stereotypes and contributes to a fairer, more inclusive society.”
As for the award presented to the Quiero Trabajo Foundation, the jury highlighted its “commitment to gender equality and job opportunities.” The foundation strives to empower vulnerable women by means of training, support and tools to facilitate job opportunities. “Thanks to support from the foundation, thousands of women have gained more confidence, independence and a new future outlook. Its impact transcends individual cases by generating a real shift towards a fairer job market,” said the jury.
During her speech, Carlota Planas said that “receiving this award reveals the power and importance that women’s sports have achieved in the struggle to raise awareness about women in sectors historically dominated by men. When I decided to become an agent, my main aim was to help future generations of girls face fewer obstacles and aspire to devote themselves to what they dream of. Knowing that I have helped more women make a livelihood out of their passion is a privilege and huge boost to pursuing this line of work.”
Patricia Estany, founder and president of the Quiero Trabajo Foundation, described her award as “a very special acknowledgement. Receiving it from the Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club makes it even more important because we share the same values and the same mission: to promote female talent, encourage the personal and career development of women and foster social responsibility. More than 17,000 women have passed through the foundation in these ten years, and they are the driving force and inspiration behind our daily work.”
An ongoing commitment to equality
The Women Forward Awards have established themselves as the go-to platform for raising awareness about the people and organizations advancing towards gender equality. The award winners in previous years, in recognition of their career track record, were Belén Garijo, CEO of Merck, and Marlen Estévez, partner and director of the litigation, arbitration and mediation department at RocaJunyect, and also a member of their board. In the business category, Agbar and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners were honored for their work promoting equality.
The Esade Alumni Women Empowerment Club, organizer of the event and promoter of these awards, was established with a view to creating a meeting place for executives committed to building workplaces where equality, diversity and equal opportunities are a reality. CaixaBank is a sponsor and financial partner of Esade Alumni.
