Every year on the 8th of March, the world turns its attention to women and girls for International Women’s Day. While the day itself is commemorated in a number of different ways, the responsibility to drive real change and challenge the status quo rests with each one of us. For me, Women’s Day is a wonderful reminder that I am many things – A mother, a sister, a daughter, a leader, a coach and a friend. But my place in this world is defined not by my gender, but by what I do with my time, how I cherish my relationships, the way I push the boundaries at work and the challenges that I choose to take up each day. And so, in honour of the strong women who came before us, those we interact with every day and the ones who inspire us across the globe, this one’s for you.
Change Begins Now
Celebrated since the early 1900s, International Women’s Day comes with a rich history. In 1917, Russian women began a strike for ‘bread and peace’ in response to the death of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War 1, until the provisional Government granted them the right to vote. It was only in 1975 that International Women’s Day was celebrated for the first time by the United Nations. Without fully understanding our roots, our challenges and the experiences of the women that have paved the way for women’s rights today, it is impossible to appreciate the beauty behind why March 8th is dedicated to women across the globe. And in the words of Sheryl Sandberg –
“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders. We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.”
When I first read about the campaign theme ‘Choose To Challenge’ for #IWD21, I began to reflect on how important it is to challenge my own thoughts, biases, perceptions and beliefs. Because a challenged world is an alert world. Real change is possible if we choose to remove our rose-tinted glasses and see the world for what it truly is.
I #ChooseToChallege. Do You?
Even at a global level, there is plenty of work to be done to combat gender bias and discrimination. Individually, we all have the power to create a more gender-balanced world by challenging the unequal social and political climate that we live in. Take for example, countries like Iceland, Taiwan, Germany and New Zealand who have showed us why it important to have women in leadership roles, especially in a crisis!
What did they teach us and what did they all have in common?
Women leaders who told the truth!
The PM of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern is a leader who was crystal clear in her approach, made quick decisions and empathized with her people at every stage of the pandemic. Women leaders not only handled the outbreak better than their male counterparts, but also revealed that leading with humility is what saved their countries from disaster.
I believe that International Women’s Day is an opportunity to learn more about women’s struggle for equality. Closer to home, the pandemic took a severe toll on women entrepreneurs, women employed as domestic help in cities, at construction sites, in call centres, and in handicraft and retail units. But the grim reality of how COVID-19 impacted working women does not end there. Data reveals that only eight months after the lockdown was imposed, 13% fewer women were employed or looking for jobs, compared to 2% fewer men in 2019. Urban women saw the deepest losses with 27.2% displaced from the labour force, as compared to only 2.8% of men! And the stark increase in unemployment of women can result in a loss to India’s GDP of about 8% or $218 billion.
But besides just weighing in on workplace inequality and the employability gap, what can organizations do to actually drive positive change?
Working from home means that women are the ones often juggling childcare and household responsibilities. So for starters, companies can regulate their ‘flexi-hours’ policy so that it is sustainable for employees across all levels, including those in high-paying roles. At Godrej Housing Finance, we ensured that 1-2 pm every day is set aside for lunch so that our people, irrespective of gender, can get their meals ready and spend time actually enjoying the mid-day break with their families. On the talent front, our Careers 2.0 program is aimed at hiring women who have taken a break from their career and welcoming them back into the workforce! By simply committing to building diverse teams, organizations need to actively look for ways to hire women remotely and empower them to get back on track.
Women’s Day 2.0
Forging an inclusive world calls for recognizing the challenges that women face in society, at work and even in their own homes. A classic example of this is a gender pay gap. The Global Gender Gap Report 2020, released by The World Economic Forum, states that it will take another 257 years for men and women to have pay equality! The world needs more women leaders and yes, there is substantial data to back up this statement. Having more women wielding power not only increases diversity, but also profit! Fortune 500 companies that have the highest representation of women on their boards financially outperform those that don’t. So today, I not only #ChooseToChallenge inequality, the pay gap and social norms, but will also welcome the opportunity to reinforce the need to coach our future women leaders. In a couple of previous blogs, I opened up about my journey as a coach, how I frequently use the word ‘Nurture’ to guide me in my professional life and factors which aid Indian women in breaking the glass ceiling! These articles offer a peek at my personal beliefs and value system that make me who I am today. While International Women’s Day means different things to different people, the modern, ambitious woman is living proof that each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence.
Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all #ChooseToChallenge.
Ruhie Pande 