How to Embrace Equity for Women

Today marks International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate and uplift the incredible women in our families and communities and around the world. But it’s not just a day of celebration; today can also be a day of change.

This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity – a call that is necessary and urgent.

Women are facing challenges to their autonomy, reproductive health and gender expression, an ongoing climate crisis, and disappearing diversity initiatives, just to name a few. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2022 GoalKeepers Report projects that it will take almost 90 more years to achieve gender equality on the global scale. What can we do about this?

We can all truly embrace equity.

Each one of us can actively support equity within our own lives. We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, eliminate our biases, and seek out inclusion.

How to promote equity for women in daily life

If you're reading this, we know you’re ready to be a part of the change we need for a truly equitable world. And as famous anthropologist Margart Mead observed, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."?

Here are a few ways you can promote equity in your everyday life:

Support mothers and caregivers

Those responsible for children and maintaining the household need support in every society. Advocating for the installation of children’s changing rooms in all bathrooms, asking that companies guarantee appropriate parental leave, ensuring governments are investing in family-friendly policies, and equally sharing caregiving tasks are some equitable actions you can take now.

You can also raise awareness about the resources and support available for families and children by bringing people together for conversations on Child & Family Well-Being.

Recognize bias against women

All of us have biases. The sooner we are honest about them, the sooner we can recognize it in ourselves and in others, and begin the process of unpacking them.?

When it comes to bias against women, there are many ways it manifests.

Women’s resumes are less likely to be considered than men’s, they are less likely to be promoted or considered for leadership positions, and they are looked to for handling administrative tasks, like maintaining calendars or taking notes.?

It doesn’t stop there.

Learn more about biases that women face and how to unpack them by exploring Lean In’s 50 Ways to Fight Bias Program.

Encourage your friends and family to embrace equity

Rally your friends, family and community to embrace equity by having courageous conversations and sharing resources on the topic. Together you can work to create positive change and forge an inclusive world.

Vote for women

According to UN Women, only 31 countries have women as heads of state or government. Find out who the women candidates in your community are, especially those from underrepresented groups, and consider voting for them.

In addition to politics, find ways to support the promotion of women in the arts, sciences, sports and other fields.

Equity for women at work

Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”

To make change happen in our organizations, let’s explore 8 steps from Swapnali Bhansali’s Eight Es to Embrace Equity:

Educate everyone

It’s essential to educate everyone about the importance of equity and why it’s needed in the workplace. In order to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace, leaders should organize training sessions, workshops and courageous conversations.

Individuals can educate themselves about these by reading informative articles, listening to a podcast, or by having meaningful conversations.

Evaluate your own bias

It’s important that everyone examines their own biases and takes steps to address them. This requires individuals to engage in self-reflection and introspection.

Encourage diversity and inclusion

Organizations should make an effort to ensure their workforce comes from a variety of backgrounds. A study revealed that diverse teams can improve performance by 30%.

Equitable recruitment practices and promotion strategies can help achieve this goal.

Establish policies

Organizations need to establish zero tolerance policies towards any discrimination based on age, race, gender, religion, beliefs and physical ability. Leaders should also focus on developing policies that promote equity in all areas, including pay, benefits and promotion opportunities.

Elevate the minority

For minority groups, there should be training and development opportunities to advance their careers based on their ambition and skillset.

Ensure work life balance

Flexible working hours, wellness programs and mental health support groups are good investments to make sure people have a healthy work life balance.

Enable networking groups

Networking groups provide support, mentorship and socializing opportunities for everyone. It will be an outlet to share thoughts, problems and concerns. Having these available at workplaces will give everyone a sense of belonging.

(Side note: Inclusivv offers a Team Membership, which provides a psychologically safe space for teammates to have meaningful conversations.)

Engage with the community

Leaders should engage with and listen to all employees, including women and other gender minorities. They should allow their voice to be heard and valued and adjust policies, projects and programs based on the feedback.

A final word on equity for women

Now that we’ve explored some of the ways that you can promote equity for women, talk to Inclusivv about bringing our Equity for Women conversation to your community or organization.