Anastasia Mikhailova, head of communications at Cherkizovo Group, spoke at the Eurasian Women’s Forum, sharing her thoughts on fundamental changes in women’s working conditions in rural areas and discussing the role of women's cooperation in boosting exports.
It is the first time that Cherkizovo Group has taken part in the Eurasian Women's Forum. Anastasia Mikhailova, head of communications, represented the company at the event. Speaking at the session Rural Growth Trends: Infrastructure and Amenities for Women, she elaborated on changes in women’s working conditions in the agribusiness. Today, agricultural companies offer modern and comfortable working conditions that have little in common with the stereotypical agricultural enterprises of the Soviet era, Ms Mikhailova said.
Large-scale implementation of advanced technologies has reduced the amount of manual labor in agriculture while increasing demand for skilled personnel. “Nowadays, even women living in the city can find highly skilled and well-paid jobs in rural areas,” pointed out Anastasia Mikhailova. She also stressed the importance of infrastructure development–a major priority for young families. “Apart from good salaries and decent benefits, people need comfortable living conditions, including healthcare institutions, kindergartens and schools, as well as leisure and recreation facilities.”
The business dialogue Women’s Cooperation in International Trade, conducted by Veronika Nikishina, chief executive officer at the Russian Export Center (REC), brought together heads and managers of export companies. Addressing the issue of exports promotion, Ms Mikhailova mentioned Cherkizovo Group’s successful global rebranding exercise completed prior to entering the Middle Eastern market a few years ago. The company changed its logo featuring a chicken and a pig, whose consumption is taboo in the region’s Muslim countries, to a neutral bright red symbol.
“On top of that, we were the first Russian meat exporter to come up with a special brand for foreign markets–Cherkizovo 77, which is the country’s leading export brand today,” said Ms Mikhailova. According to her, participation in the SIAL and Gulfood international exhibitions, organized with active involvement of REC, is very helpful for reaching out to foreign clients. Government-sponsored business missions and events are also a good opportunity for finding potential partners abroad.
The third Eurasian Women's Forum, organized by the Federation Council of Russia and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States, was held on October 13–15 in St Petersburg. The forum is a major international platform where female leaders from across the globe can discuss the role of women in the modern world. This year’s event focused on women’s new role in ensuring global security and social progress, transitioning to new models of economic growth, developing high-tech industries and other important and relevant issues.
