The European Professional Women’s Network and Connecting Women are organising the next:

‘EPWN/CW Hague Borrel’
Tuesday 15 November 2011, 19:00-22:00
at ‘De Zoute Zoen’ – back in the Scheveningen Harbour

Dear ladies,
We are looking forward to welcoming you to our next event on Tuesday 15 November 2011 from 19:00-22:00 and we have decided to return to the Scheveningen Harbour. We are therefore very excited that our next EPWN/CW Hague Borrel will take place at the stylish restaurant De Zoute Zoen!

Yet another great opportunity for meeting other women, networking and exchanging views about work/life in The Netherlands. And remember that everybody is welcome, membership is not required. As always, we will have a table at our disposal for your business cards in order to promote your own business.

De Zoute Zoen, situated in the 2nd harbour in Scheveningen, offers fish oriented cuisine, in
a rustic, classical and warm ambiance, with a wonderful view of the harbour. The restaurant offers a spacious, bright but cosy dining room with adjacent terrace. It is a great location for lunch or dinner, and also available for private dining, wine tastings or business meetings.

And … De Zoute Zoen also honours the same offer we had with Braque – we will get 3 (!!) drinks for our pre-paid €12,50 plus canapes!
Cost and registration
The cost of the Borrel is €12,50 per person. This will entitle you to three drinks plus nibbles and tapas. You are asked to pay this upon arrival, for which you will receive three restaurant coins to redeem your drinks at the bar. Additional drinks are at your own cost – the bar will close at 22:00.

Please make sure you register your attendance (either as a member or as a guest) via the EPWN website http://europeanpwn-amsterdam.net/events/borrel-in-the-hague-november-15. Alternatively, you can send an email to Karin Bosscher at karin@isabellalinea.nl. As Erika will be away for a few days, please contact Karin for a speedier reply. For more information on the event, see www.connectingwomen.nl.

Please also don’t forget to de-register if you are not able to make it after all!
We need to confirm the number of attendees with the restaurant 24 hours in advance. When pre-registered people do not show up, this puts us in a difficult position, as the restaurant has prepared food for more people.

Directions to the venue
This restaurant, De Zoute Zoen is located in the Scheveningen Harbour, nextdoor to restaurant De Dagvisser. The address is Schokkerweg 37, Den Haag. For more details about the venue, go to their website http://www.dezoutezoen.nl/.

There is plenty of free parking. If you are travelling by public transport, take tram #17 from Den Haag Centraal Station (richting Statenkwartier) and get off at the stop called Van Boetzelaerlaan. Or take tram #11 to the Duinstraat stop.

We are looking forward to seeing you all and to enjoying yet another very exciting networking evening!

Warm regards,

Anna Farrenkopf, Karin Bosscher & Erika Both
European Professional Women’s Network / Connecting Women

, The Davos gender quota for their 100 strategic partners generated tremendous global buzz around the state of women in business and leadership today.

Our very own Marijo Bos, miracle worker pur sang, thanks to voting support and comments, made it to the FINAL ROUND in the LinkedIn European Business Awards 2010 as candidate to win in the category “Rising Star of the Year”.

The Rising Star of the Year Award will be awarded to a non-board level individual whose initiative and determination has made an exceptional contribution to the success of their business over the last 12 months. They will also have demonstrated exceptional ability to make a difference when working with clients, suppliers, colleagues and stakeholders.”

If anyone deserves to win, it’s Marijo.

We can make that happen. Our Federation connects 3,500 professional women across Europe, many of whom are linked through Linkedin. We should be able to mobilize enough support to surpass the top of the leader board, the felllow who currently holds 931 votes… right?

Voting is easy, follow this link and click the red box: http://bit.ly/3QUnb7

We all stand to gain. How?
Each winner will receive a free year’s subscription to Cisco’s WebEx. It’s Marijo’s great wish to use WebEx to connect all of our growing networks at EuropeanPWN.

Need we say more? What an opportunity for all involved!
May we count on your support too to get the word out?

Vote for Marijo today, and please spread the word.

Misunderstandings, irritations, feelings of exclusion and a sense of inferiority, are daily challenges for non-native English speakers trying to communicate in the language of global business. What exactly happens and how can global organizations help employees become more effective in this intercultural language and its various communication styles?

Vast amounts of skill, expertise and knowledge remains hidden in organizations because of language and cultural barriers. Native Spanish, German, Dutch, Turkish, Chinese or Bahasa Indonesia speakers all make a daily effort to understand, speak and write English. Native English speakers try to understand the many variants of non-native speakers.

Together we try to get used to each other’s accents and accept the language mistakes inevitably made. We try to figure out what a good translation would be for a particular expression and how the words are to be interpreted and valued in our own language. We get lost in translation.

On many occasions the native English speakers form the majority at international meetings. They patiently watch how non-native speakers demolish their native language and still praise them on their command of English. Are native English speakers aware of the difficulties non-native speakers face and how this affects their feelings and the dynamics of a discussion or debate?

Dutch telecom giant KPN is launching an affirmative action programme for women in top management posts.

In an interview with the Volkskrant, KPN CEO Ad Scheepbouwer notes the number of women among its top management currently accounts for just 17 percent. The figure, he says, is too low and needs to be raised. As prior attempts to do so have produced little improvement, the company has decided that from now on only women will be considered for certain posts. The company still needs to determine the exact number and nature of the functions. KPN is thought to be the first large company to start an affirmative action policy for women. On Monday Parliament is to discuss a proposal by the Labour Party aimed at boosting the number of women in top management to 30 percent.

Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide

From FT.com:

• FT top 50 women in world business

From Forbes.com:

• The World’s 100 Most Power Women

Increase your visibility on the web.

Whatever the reason for starting a business, there are several important tips that apply to everyone. Unfortunately, some women’s ability to execute the advice may be hampered by an underlying belief.

Many women and men are drawn to starting an enterprise because of the desire for independence and the opportunity to reach big goals. Drivers include entrepreneurial passion, personal reward, a wish to escape dissatisfaction in the workplace or simply to have flexibility and create a good work-life balance.

But does advice for men and women differ in any way?