Women in the workplace

On Monday this week, March 8 2021, we celebrated the International Women’s Day.

We want to reflect on the importance of this great day and what it means for us. How can we contribute to its agenda and objectives as progressive professional career or business people?

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality.

This day is celebrated every year on March 8th, with some of the key objectives being to:

1.   Celebrate women’s achievements: Do you, whether a man or woman, celebrate the achievements of women? At your workplace, when you see a woman achieve something, do you see the achievement and actively celebrate it? Let us face it. Women go through a lot of challenges for being a woman. These challenges often come from men not recognising the achievements of women. Some or most men look down on women and even when women achieve a lot, some of these men will not celebrate and not even recognise the achievement. Sadly, even their fellow women do that too. In fact, at times, women mistreat each other more than men do to women. As we celebrate the International Women’s Day this week, we want to condemn such tendencies and call upon the rallying of everyone towards this agenda of recognising and celebrating the achievements of women.

2.   Raise awareness about women’s equality: Women’s equality has been on the lips of many people for a long time. Clearly we have registered a lot of strides on this agenda over the last couple of decades. At the same time, we all know that more needs to be done by you and me—all of us. Let us preach the word that women deserve equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. Men, let us not be greedy but open up the opportunities to women too. Women in power and positions of influence, please allow other women to access the opportunities that you too access and even mentor and coach them to reach where you are.

3.   Lobby for accelerated gender parity: The ideal world will be where we have near same numbers of women as men in different categories of privileges and a time when the women will earn as much money as the men. If you are in a position of authority do you pay attention to whether women are earning the same as men for doing the same job or you do not care about this? We need to reflect on these realities and act on them especially now as we celebrate this important day this week.

4.   Fundraise for female-focused charities: May be this one may not apply to everyone. But in a customised fashion, how do you go the extra mile to volunteer your ideas, effort or support for the cause of women? Do you open your eyes and ears to understand the plight of women and open your voice to support their agenda for the promotion of women’s interests?

This battle cannot be won unless both women and men come together to do their part. Men need to recognise and address the challenges that women face in the work place. Let us give women the same opportunities as we give to our fellow men. When we are recruiting staff or appointing people, let us give consideration to matters of gender equality and parity and so on. When we are rewarding staff, let us consider women too. When choosing people for anything from training, to delegation and so on, remember to think about women too.

Women too, you need to promote each other. There are instances when men promote women more than their fellow women do. I have seen women in positions of influence not only doing nothing to promote their fellow women but even actively blocking other women from progressing at the work place. As we celebrate this important day, let us all reflect on this important subject, resolve to act differently, to do more and realize the ultimate goal