Progress, Perspective, and Potential: Commemorating International Women’s Day 2024

“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception.”

—former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and the many achievements of women everywhere, it’s a perfect moment to honor and shine a spotlight on the women in our lives. To recognize the hurdles they’ve leaped over, the barriers they’ve blown through, the accomplishments they’ve earned, and to acknowledge how far we all still have to go to ensure true gender equality and equity in our society.?

As a father, I've had the immense privilege of witnessing the journey of my two daughters as they navigate their paths in the professional world for the first time. My youngest has freshly stepped into the workforce with a sense of excitement and possibility, while my eldest is already making waves as a top technology sales representative. Their energy, enthusiasm, and unwavering belief in their own potential fill me with immense pride and hope for the future.

But reflecting on the timeline of women's rights over the past few decades is a humbling exercise. It's astounding to think that it wasn't until the 1963 Equal Pay Act that women were finally starting to be compensated fairly in the workplace, earning only 59 cents for every dollar paid to men. It wasn’t until the passage of Title IX in 1972 that discrimination was banned in educational institutions, and schools saw a steep rise in female admission numbers and a rapid growth in women’s athletics. Prior to Title IX, there were 32,000 (15%) female collegiate athletes; now, there are more than 200,000 (44%). And unbelievably, it wasn’t until the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act that women could obtain their own credit cards independently! Now 91% of new home purchases are made by women, and 37% of the global GDP is generated by women, according to Bankrate. In the next decade, Bankrate found that 66% of consumer wealth will belong to women.

These incremental milestones serve as a stark reminder of the systemic barriers that women have faced and continue to overcome. From the suffragette movement to landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, each step forward has been hard-fought and represents a triumph of resilience and determination.

Today, we stand in a vastly different landscape. Women comprise over half of the workforce, with 49% breaking through the glass ceiling to reach executive-level positions, according to Fortune. And for the first time in history, more than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are now women.

However, while progress has been made, disparities still exist, particularly in fields like STEM, where men outnumber women 2:1. Encouraging and supporting women in these fields is not just a matter of equality but also essential for driving innovation and progress in our increasingly complex world. According to the United Nations’s most recent report, at the current rate of progress, it will take 286 years for the world to achieve gender equality, and that’s just not acceptable. Gender equality is achievable in our lifetimes if we all commit to better understanding the stark issues women face and ensuring there are actionable plans in place to improve them.

The message from the trailblazing women who came before us is clear: we must not only dream of equality but actively pursue it and expect nothing less. This sentiment echoes within the halls of my own company, where we aspire to make continuous improvements to this end. Where female leaders like Chief Marketing Officer Cristy Garcia, Chief People Officer Michelle Denman, and Board of Directors member Ning Wang are leading by example and shaping the future of our organization. Their leadership serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of leaders.

We’re making progress, but we still have a ways to go before the 10% of current women CEOs becomes an even 50%. As business leaders and managers, it’s critical we create an environment where women feel empowered to claim their rightful place at the table. This means advocating for diversity and inclusion and actively mentoring and supporting women in their career progression. Providing equal opportunities for growth and advancement is not just the right thing to do; it's also a smart business decision that fosters innovation and drives success. It means calling out biases or injustices where we see them, something I spotlighted on last year’s International Women’s Day. Letting women speak without getting interrupted, proactively asking their opinion, and praising them in front of their peers. It's not enough to support women, we also must collectively change the way we think and behave in and out of the workplace.

When I think about my daughters and the countless women entering the workforce today, I'm struck by their optimism, resilience, and determination. They refuse to be defined by outdated stereotypes or limited by societal expectations. Instead, they embrace their competence, intelligence, and independence, embodying the values that define, and continue to evolve, our company culture as well.

Today, as we celebrate International Women's Day, let us not only acknowledge the progress we've made but also recommit ourselves to the journey ahead. Together, let's continue to champion gender equality, cultivate diverse and inclusive workplaces, and empower women to lead with confidence and purpose. Because when women succeed, we all succeed.

Happy International Women's Day.

(And for those who have stuck around this far, I wanted to send us off into the weekend with a bit of fun: Sarah Howes guest hosted our bi-weekly Global Huddle all-company meeting yesterday and chose The Man as her “hold music” at the start of the meeting…and absolutely crushed it!)

“As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.”

—former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor