International Women's Day 2024

Presently, there is a growing movement amongst women to ditch International Women’s Day altogether. The purpose of the day was always to celebrate women, to highlight the achievements and successes of women, to shine a light on gender inequality and the pay parity issue with the intention of driving change - this purpose is simply no longer being served. Instead, there is a sense that the day has become largely tokenism at best and, at worst, it’s considered ‘just enough’ to assuage the women in your organisation.

With the gender pay gap worsening, female CEOs remaining few and far between, and board and senior management team representation still predominantly male and pale, the words spoken on IWD evidently do not translate into action in the workplace, and it is action that matters.

As a society, we bring up our boys to believe that they are entitled to things. They are entitled to success and happiness and opportunity. They are entitled to support and facilitation. They are entitled to the belief that things are infinitely achievable. It isn’t that women seek to take this away from boys, it’s that they want the same for girls. In a thousand different ways, girls are shown that they matter less, that they contribute less, that their value to society is measured in youth and beauty and subordination, and not much beyond. What we need more people to do - men and women alike - is to ask themselves the following questions:

• Are men still taken more seriously than women in your business? If yes, why?
• Are women considered less suitable for leadership in your organisation? If so, why?
• Is there space for women to speak and be heard? If not, why?

And, when you have considered these questions carefully, act upon your findings.

Contrary to popular belief, feminism isn’t about men-bashing, or the dominance of one group over another, but about equality. Finding an equal amount of space in which to thrive, to be heard, to learn and teach, and to enjoy success in whatever form that takes, whether that is in the workplace or the home for either gender.

What is it that you are doing to further this cause?