Last weekend, The International Women IN Business Regional conference took place at the Kempinski Palace Portoroz. The event brought together more than 80 female leaders, diplomats, experts, managers and entrepreneurs.
“Women should give each other support – but not only superficial but true support and constant support, wishing sincerely for another sister to succeed. So, share your knowledge and contacts and do not feel threatened by another female. No matter how successful you are at this moment, you should never forget that you once where a beginner female in this survival-achievement quest called life – being that private or a professional quest – and every woman needs support and friendly, not a competitive environment to develop in,” said the event organiser Vanja Kavčić, founder of The International platform.
She emphasised that women should have more confidence and use their knowledge and skills and trust their instincts. “Never leave an idea to wait when it already „knocked on the window of your creativity! There are no „better circumstances “; there is only you and your geniousity in that moment or moments when you believe in yourself. Miracles happen on those days when you rely on your power that fuels on life-long learning and curiosity and constant effort to reach and achieve the best for you and your projects that are just pieces and pictures of your life faceted with many people and events that play a role in your but also their theatre of life. Work to live, not live to work, concluded Kavčić.
Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, Dr. Jerneja Jug Jerše greeted the present women by saying that “gender equality and women’s rights are key to social justice, strong democracies, competitive economies and security for all. Empowering the entire population benefits society as a whole. On 7 March 2025, the European Commission published its Roadmap for Women’s Rights, building on the achievements of the Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025. One of the key objectives of the Commission’s political objectives is to ensure equal pay and economic empowerment for women. Harnessing the talents of all women as workers, entrepreneurs and leaders is essential for the growth and stability of the EU. This will boost economic growth, inspire innovation and improve the quality of life for all. Thus, promoting women’s rights is not only a moral responsibility, but also a strategic investment in the economic future of the EU.”
The Vice-President of the Association for Connecting Women Experts and Promoting Knowledge OneVe Manca Dežman, Director of Bold projects said on the opening that according to OnaVe’s data, women appear as guest speakers in media appearances only in a quarter of cases. Three quarters are reserved for men. “With the OnaVe network of Slovenian experts, we want to make women experts more visible and heard. The OnaVe network was established in 2021, and in four years 599 women experts have already registered.”
Violeta Jovanović, Executive Director of NALED Serbia, said that “despite improvements, Serbia and the region are regressing in terms of EU integration, and progress in gender mainstreaming is equally slow – patriarchal stereotypes persist along with a conservative agenda – gender roles are maintained, and the burden of household chores remains largely on women. 12% of land is owned by women and 24% of small and medium-sized enterprises, mostly micro-enterprises and sole proprietors.”
The first panel of the conference was dedicated to women in leadership. The participants were Melania Arreaga, Chargé affairs at the US Embassy in Ljubljana, H.E. Akiko Yoshida, Ambassador of Japan to Slovenia, and Dr. Jerneja Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission Representation.
The second panel, “Women in Business”, was attended by Dr. Vida Šeme Hočevar, Member of the Management Board, CRO of Triglav, pokojninska družba, d.d., Dr. Marta Svoljšak Jerman, Sustainability Area manager at Petrol d.d. and Maja Brelih Lotrič, CEO of LOTRIČ Metrology Ltd.
The third content section was dedicated to women in STEM, and was attended by Dr. Polona Pičman Štefančič, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ljupka Vrteva, Senior Solutions Developer at Petrol and Engineer of the Year 2023, and Irena Lemut Čeh, Founder and Owner of Labena Group.
The International media and event platform had several great partners involved in the event which took place with the support of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia. The International developed successful partnership with OnaVe association, the Rotary Club Ljubljana Julija, FAM Association of female managers and sponsors of the conference Petrol – Energija za življenje, Triglav pokojnine, Labena Group, Medex, Zvezda Ljubljana and Makedonija Trade without whom this significant and memorable event would not be as unique as it was.
The team of The International is thankful to all the amazing participants and the interesting speakers for their attendance and engagement.
See you next year at The International Women IN Business Regional Conference 2026!
Photo: Željko Stevanić IFP
