How I'm Choosing to Challenge...

On 8th March I marked International Women's Day by posting a quick video on LinkedIn calling on others to #choosetochallenge in support of the 2021 campaign. I received a wave of support and some inspiring direct messages from both women and men wanting to connect on this topic. But, I had yet to define what form my own challenge would take.

Balancing work, family life, homeschooling and the general weariness of the past year left me – and so many others in more difficult circumstances than my own – feeling stretched and emotionally thin. Every day since then there have been stories of violence against women in the UK news (Blessing Olusegun, Bibaa Henry, Nicola Smallman, Wenjing Lin, Sarah Everard). The World Economic Forum's report on IWD yielded a mixed bag of positivity for women's leadership in the pandemic, coupled with reminders of women being disproportionately affected by Covid-19 job losses and still vastly under-represented at all levels of society and leadership. And, I was directed to the 2020 Gender Parity Report which served as a stark reminder that none of us will see gender parity in our lifetimes, nor will our children. Suffice to say, this did little to combat the weariness I was feeling.

Then, on 14th March it was Mother's Day. My thoughts turned to my own children - my five year old daughter and 1 year old son. Instead of weariness, I felt a wave of determination. Determination that I was not going to accept the status quo or let the challenges overwhelm me. Others have been hit so much harder by the pandemic than I have – losing their livelihoods, their families, their freedom, their lives. This reality reminded me to look at the bigger picture. To move beyond ‘lockdown mode’ of lurching from one crisis to the next and dig deeper for my children and the world I want for them.

This shift in thinking re-awakened my resolve, giving me the resilience and energy to focus. It is this disparity that I #choosetochallenge.

By being present, showing up and doing the work I do, I can make an impact and help to redress these imbalances. I can mindfully listen to others, challenge what doesn’t sound or feel right and go where my energy is needed - rather than wasting it on areas where it is not. I know that even if I don't see parity in my lifetime, it won’t be from my lack of trying!

All of us can make an impact and this is how I choose to make mine. And, while I am only one person, I am part of a larger ecosystem of people like you. People whose actions and voices can effect change. Each of us are made stronger by our spheres of influence and it is with this collective strength and influence that we will make progress toward parity - not just for women, but for all under-represented or vulnerable communities.

What or how will you #choosetochallenge? I'd love to know.