Who can we lift up this International Women’s Day?

Stephanie and her sister Brenda, two wonderful women on a windy Wellington waterfront.

Did you know there is a ‘Celebrate Stupid Guy Thing’ Day?  There’s also Polar Bear Plunge Day (1 Jan), World Sandwich Day (3 November), and International Accountants Day (10 November).

There are so many causes and topics (from import to fun to infuriating) vying for our attention in this world – what makes International Woman’s Day worth our energy this week?

In short because the battle for women to have equal footing in the world and in the workplace is far from won, and in some places is going frighteningly backwards.

Although on a case-by-case basis, some organisations and individuals are doing fantastic work, women in Aotearoa and around the globe do not consistently have the same access to safe and supportive spaces to flourish.  Far from it.

It can feel tiring, dispiriting and even boring to hear, that after all this time, and even taking into account how far humanity has come, that it isn’t enough!  

Some of things on my mind this week

• The data in this ‘Women in the Workplace’ report my colleague, Megan Sullivan, shared with our CVL team, that highlights women leaving companies at the highest rate ever.  It noted that while women aspire to senior management positions as much as their male colleagues, they are far more likely to experience microaggressions that undermine their authority and discourage their ability to advance within a company.  Women were also twice as likely as male leaders to be mistaken for someone more junior.

• My super smart friend, who is a marketing guru, is currently wondering how she is going to find her way back to work and look after her beautiful one year old daughter.  The ongoing challenge women face juggling children and work is real, with a major hurdle being returning from maternity leave.  Ellen Nelson talks about the importance of flexible working that actually works for people’s lives and families.

• My friend in L.A who quietly stopped using her period tracking app, “just in case the data gets used, and not in a good way’”.  It’s becoming apparent that even in the Western World, our reproductive rights can change, and that’s frightening.

• The Pay equity data that continues to show women are paid less than men, for the same work.  This gets significantly worse for minorities.

…and that’s the tip of a very deep iceberg.

Gender equality is not a topic that is going away because we have ingrained societal systems and cultures that have been designed in a way that is unequal.

Like a major project at work, when something is big, important and complex, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. We spin our wheels, wondering where to start.  Where do we even begin?

That’s why days that raise awareness of important conversations can be useful.  International Womens Day can be used to pause and take stock of where we are, and the things we can all do (little and large). For us as women it’s a reminder to hold our ground, and ask for more ground, however we can.  For those who support us, it’s a reminder that you play an important role in creating equality and never take for granted that what’s been won will stay ‘won’ if we don’t pay attention.

I have the privilege of working alongside 18 incredible women at CVL, with our CEO and Executive Team all being inspiring, kick-arse women.   We also have the privilege of facilitating conversations about inclusive leadership across many of our clients, investing in the wealth of perspectives, experiences and ideas that are part of any high performing team.

Take a moment this week to be thoughtful about the environment around you: 

• Who is making and holding space for women well?  Who can we hold up as great examples? Who do we need to say ka pai and keep up the great work?

• Who can we support, who can we champion, what might they need?

• What work systems and processes might be holding some people back?

• Who in your life can you lift up this week? What’s something you can do right now?

Let’s use our actions and our voices, today and every chance we get to champion equality, because the world will be a better place for it.

And massive supporter of incredible women everywhere.

P.S. I’d also love to hear from you about companies, individuals and causes who are awesome at this, because they’re great people to invite into our workshops and inspire us all.  Please do drop us a note on LinkedIn, or let me know at Stephanie@cvl.co.nz