Today marks International Women’s Day, which is celebrated in many countries all over the world! On this day, women are recognized for their accomplishments across the board. The day is celebrated to create awareness among people about gender equality, effects of gender bias, the role of women in the society, abuse against women, equal rights of women, and much, much more. It is also known as the United States (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.
Did you know that the first National Women’s Day started in the United States on February 28th in 1909? It came about to honor the 1908 garment workers strike in New York City, when women protested unsafe working conditions.
Since its inception, the rights of women have come a long way, but we have so much further to go. Thank goodness for the explosion of the Women Right’s marches across the United States and the #metoo movement.
We have the power to be the change we wish to see in the world!
Here are some stats from a 2023 Forbes.com report:
“Women currently hold only 26.7% of tech-related jobs, and similarly, technology firms with more than 10,000 employees report women’s representation at 26.2%. This means we are not representative of the societies we serve.
There is a moral point here too - are we comfortable living in a world where more than half of women in tech leave the industry by the mid-point of their career, which is more than double the rate of men. We may assume this is because of caring responsibilities, however the main reasons women currently leave tech included weak management support (23%), lack of opportunity (20%), and lack of work-life balance (22%).
Why is this important?
From a business perspective, this simply makes sense. Embracing diversity and fostering inclusion embeds friction into our decision making, enabling us to challenge ourselves before we define what the right answer looks like.
When employees “think their organization his committed to and supportive of diversity, and they feel included”, innovation revenue increases by 83%, Deloitte.
Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity - 15% more likely to outperform competitors. Those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity - 35% more likely to outperform competitors, McKinsey.
An inclusive organization is 2x as likely to exceed financial targets, 3x as likely to be high-performing, 6x more likely to be agile and innovative, and 8x more likely to achieve better business outcomes, Deloitte.”
What are you doing in celebration of International Women’s Day?
What women in your life inspire you to be better; to be the change you seek in the world?
Please share your comments, below.
Until next time, love and light!
JULIE D. HARBOUR
Stylish Paradox