Breaking bias globally, in the pursuit of a sustainable future for all

Author: Rebecca Holland - Talent Acquisition Manager. British Citizen, living and working in the UK.

When we explore new career opportunities, we consider many factors which eventually shape our choice.? For me, a huge part of this decision is always the people I meet during the selection process.? They offer important insight into the organisational culture and values. This was certainly the case when I joined the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and was interviewed by two very impressive women. In HR an all-female interview panel is not necessarily surprising, despite efforts to become more gender neutral it is still broadly considered a female occupation. This cannot be echoed for Climate Science where latest research suggests 80% of new jobs created by the decarbonisation agenda will be in male-dominated sectors. As things stand women not only bear the burden of the climate crisis, but they also face huge hurdles when accessing jobs in the industry. Since joining CBI, I’ve started to gain a much deeper appreciation of the role Climate Finance can play in addressing this gender equality as we collectively strive to achieve a sustainable future for all.?

Within my first week at CBI, I was amazed at not only the high percentage of females who make up our global workforce (60%), but also the breadth of diverse backgrounds these women have.?

As a recruiter this year’s theme of ‘break the bias’ really resonates, it’s astonishing what some employers will say about potential hires when they think the conversation is private. Throughout my career I must have heard every bias and prejudice possible. Joining CBI has been hugely refreshing in this respect, our workforce is fascinatingly varied and underpinned by enormous mutual respect.?

Today, as we celebrate international women’s day, I wanted to share some thoughts from some of our inspiring women and men.?

Ujala Qadir – Head of Programme Design.
US Citizen and Pakistani Citizen; currently living and working in Canada.         

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

"I’ve celebrated women’s day since I was 12 years old when I moved to Pakistan from the US. Every year we marched toward the capital, mostly women, but also men. It is a day filled with dancing, singing, street theatre, and fiery impassioned speeches. It’s been some time since I’ve lived in Pakistan now, but the Women’s Day March has become highly charged, political, and perhaps more dangerous too. It represents to me a day where women from all walks of life come together and connect through shared experiences, celebrate progress toward equality, and lament the injustices that remain prevalent in all our societies."

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them?

"I started off as a civil engineer in Pakistan, a country that had almost no female engineers at the time, so yes – I faced significant challenges. I overcame them by being sympathetic to the cultural shock and lack of exposure my colleagues and stakeholders had to women in technical and senior roles, while not backing off or compromising on my job. I also faced sexual harassment, as most women in Pakistani workplace do and women’s rights are still a huge battleground.?

In my current context, living in Vancouver and previously in London – I feel quite blessed to work at CBI where I have not faced any barriers related to my gender."

Bridget Boulle – Head of Taxonomies. 
Australian Citizen, living and working in Sydney.        

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

"Find a place that suits you. Don’t feel you have to change to suit the place you’re in. I was in an awful environment where I felt totally squashed and performed terribly. When I moved to Climate Bonds, I felt like I could breathe. I was trusted with the work as the starting point, which is why I’m still here, 10 years on!"

How can we encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles in their career?

"For young women, strong role models are key. Give people trust and usually they work quite well. Mentors aren’t always other women. Sean (Climate Bonds CEO) was a mentor for me and was always so outraged when people treated women badly, whereas for me and other women it was just normal.?

For women with family, provide flexibility and resources – that is the biggest barrier to pursue senior roles, it has such a drain on time, that you don’t have anything left for family. No one, man or woman, wants to be in that position."

Manshu Deng - Research Manager China Programme. 
Chinese Citizen, living in Hong Kong. Previously lived in Canada, France
and Norway.        

Why do you think diversity in the workplace is so important?

"Diversity contributes to competence, the core of survival and development for an organisation."

If you could have dinner with three inspirational?women, dead or alive, who would they be and why?

"Kwa Geok Choo: As the beloved wife of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and mother of two children, she managed to balance between her career and supporting families. She has a holistic view of life.

Yaping Deng: As a former athlete, she later transformed herself into a business leader and life coach. She is able to gain from every experience and bring that forward to different aspects and stages of life.

Ping Lang: As a former volleyball player and head coach of the Chinese national team, she carries a growth mindset in every role she plays."

Karthik Iyer – Director of Programmes. 
Australian citizen, currently lives in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.        

Why do you think it’s important to observe?independent women's day??

"It’s a signalling exercise as with many of the observed days…and particularly more so in this context as the awareness and pace of mainstreaming of gender lens is still lagging."

What do you think can be done to address gender stereotypes??

"Break the pattern…move away from a resistance group to a mainstreaming and inclusive mindset. There is a lot of historical baggage and sense of entitlement, embedded notions, some culturally and others from a professional setting/s. There is probably not enough thinking on how this inclusivity benefits men and how it can break the pattern from seeing it as activism in isolation to a beneficial evolution."

What is it like to work with the women that sit alongside you on the Senior Leadership Team and also within your department???

"It has been refreshing and fruitful in terms of the diverse viewpoints both at a leadership level and operational/team levels. It also makes the work environment better …especially for an organisation like ours where the mission alignment requires a broader and more nuanced perspective to work, work-life balance and collaborative approaches to achieving the mission."

Elisabeth Vishnevskaja – Head of Partnerships. 
Based in Athens, Greece. Born in Russia, passport is from Finland, grew
up in France, lived most of her adult life in the UK.        

What is the most important piece of advice you have been given?

"Be kind and don’t be afraid to show your “softer feminine side” in the workplace."

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

"I am of two minds; on one hand I wish there was no need to recognise anything different about women vs men. However, in reality even in 2022 we still need to remind ourselves that women do not have equality, and in some places in the world they are not treated fairly."

Isabella Rolla – Training Manager.
Brazilian citizen. Worked and lived in Brazil, Ghana, Spain and currently 
France.?        

What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

"I would probably repeat advice that has been given to me: Be yourself, trust yourself. To be close and support other women. We are sisters and together we are stronger. Lastly, do not feel an impostor because overconfident men try to shadow you."?

Is there anyone that inspires you in your career?

"Definitely: my mom, all women at Climate Bonds, Neda Tavakoli, Judith Butler, Angela Merkel, Christiana Figueres, Silvia Federici amongst so many others."

Leonardo Gava Mataram – Brazil Agriculture Transition Manager. 
Brazilian Citizen, living in Brazil.?Previously worked in France.        

Why do you think it is important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

"I do think that it's important to observe international women's day to celebrate all the achievements of women, taking into consideration the political, social, economic and cultural environments. Also, the date is important in a sense of a call for action on gender equality."?

What was it like joining the LatAm team at CBI?

"Joining the LatAm team was an awesome experience. The LatAm team is formed by a strong, talented and welcoming group of women, which has made my transition into CBI and my day-to-day activities a great experience. I am immensely happy and proud to be part of this team."

BACK TO REBECCA HOLLAND        

While we strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion the inequalities our people experience are still present across the world. To achieve equity, gender equality and an inclusive sustainable future we must first truly understand privilege and continue to challenge each other to do better.?

As an organisation we operate at a global level in many ways, we take a holistic view of diversity that recognises the different perspectives of people that work or partner with us. We are looking for the very best talent to deliver on our mission to mobilise global capital for climate action. Our goal is that we build an inclusive and innovative culture that recognises the uniqueness of our team members and allows them to feel valued and inspired to do their best work.

If you would like to join us please take a look at our website for current opportunities https://www.climatebonds.net/jobs