"Being yourself is your superpower": the first meeting of the women's community in arbitration

It’s not just men in arbitration anymore – women are confidently taking leadership positions, launching their own projects and proving that this field is open to everyone who is ready to work for results. At one of the last conferences, Sasha, TL of Collaborations at PIN-UP Partners, heard the phrase: “Girls are taking over the industry“, and this thought stuck with her. Looking around, she realized that it was true: there are more and more women in the niche, and their influence is only growing every year.

This prompted Sasha to ask an interesting question: do girls in arbitration have their own space? A place where they can communicate openly, share experiences, discuss challenges and support each other?

This is how the idea of the Women’s Community was born – an initiative that creates a comfortable environment for communication and development, and March 8 was a wonderful and symbolic occasion to gather for the first time.

We talk to Sasha, the initiator and organizer of this community, about how everything went, what made this meeting special, and what are the plans for the future.

Sasha, how did you come up with the idea to gather girls from the arbitration community?

I heard on Affhub that “girls are taking over the industry” and this idea stuck with me. I can really see how we are becoming more numerous, how we are growing and developing in a field that has long been considered “male”. I wanted to create a community where we could discuss common challenges, share experiences, and just have a great time.

What was the main idea of the meeting?

The slogan of the first meeting was “Being yourself is your superpower”. I really believe that the most important thing is to accept yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and not be afraid to be different. When you choose yourself, it becomes easier to live, work, and build relationships.

What format did you choose for your first meeting?

I wanted it to be not just a meeting, but a special event. PIN-UP Partners and I organized a brunch in a beautiful location surrounded by greenery, with an atmosphere of coziness and celebration. The center of the day was a master class on creating a fragrance, because perfume is also a way to get to know yourself better, to understand what you like. We talked a lot, laughed, took pictures, and at the end of the class, the girls received a nice bonus – gifts with care cosmetics and a relaxing massage. This is another reminder that it is important to take time for yourself, even in such a frantic rhythm.

How did the girls react to this format?

There were a lot of warm words! Many said they were used to the fact that all events in the industry are for men: football, poker, CS tournaments. And here is something just for us. It was pleasant, valuable and energizing.

Do you plan to continue developing the women’s community?

Of course! This meeting was just the beginning. I want to develop the community, invent new meeting formats, and make them even more interesting. I already have a few ideas on how we can organize the next gathering.

What do you see as the future for girls in the arbitration industry?

I am sure that there will be even more girls in the industry. We can already see women taking up leadership positions, managing teams, launching their own projects. Arbitration has long ceased to be an exclusively male sphere – everything here depends not on gender, but on skills, creativity and ability to analyze data. If girls used to have to prove something, now they just do it.

What challenges do girls most often face in this area?

One of the main challenges is stereotypes stereotypes. Although they are becoming less common, you can still hear them sometimes: “This is not a woman’s profession” or “You know traffic well for a girl.” But such things only motivate you to prove the opposite.

Another point is work-life balance. Arbitrage means constant tests, launches, analytics, and many people simply live 24/7. But girls, as a rule, know how to build processes competently so as not to burn out in their work.

And, of course, networking. In the men’s community, many people have known each other for a long time, and it can be more difficult for girls to join this atmosphere. That’s why I wanted to create a women’s community so badly – so that we could also have a space for communication and support.

This meeting was the first step towards the creation of a women’s community in arbitration. I am proud of the girls around me – smart, ambitious, strong. We have something to talk about, something to learn from each other, something to be inspired by. And I am sure that there are even more meetings, projects, and opportunities ahead. After all, the power is in the girls 💫