Are you playing a role in forging gender parity? #BreakTheBias

It was Glasgow in the Nineties that I first came across a startling example of the bias.? While I was navigating the nuance of the mens professional football world, a friend of mine was forging her career in sales....... I would follow that path myself, later.

She had been at the infamous Which? Computer Show. A UK event which at the time was the largest exhibition in the country, sprawling across many halls at the NEC Birmingham.?

When we met she was angry. For the entire week, almost every male visitor to the stand asked her if she knew anything about the products or if she was there to hand out leaflets.? She was the top salesperson in the company, so these questions weren’t just tiresome, they were insulting. Active conscious bias was rife and if it wasn’t for her tenacity and ability to turn conversations around, I think she may have responded to the inappropriate comments with a ‘Glasgow Kiss’, I'm pleased to say she was restrained.

Thankfully, things have changed since then. But it’s only down to the incredible women who pushed past the bias, took a seat at the table and carved out new opportunities for women, Demanding the business world changed.

Time to #BreakTheBias?

This year’s theme, #BreakTheBias, is close to my heart. Both at work and home, I’m surrounded by strong, articulate women.?Women who lead by example. Women who have exceptional careers. Women I respect and admire, Women I learn from everyday.?

It is all our responsibility to make sure we are actively creating work environments that are more equal and accepting, not sexist. Fostering gender equality in all disciplines of our work lives: from equal salaries to equal work conditions and career paths and opportunities.

I want a world where we treat each person according to their personality and abilities and not their gender. We shouldn't have to but it seems we must work hard to break it and ensure that there is fairness, strategies and measures available to compensate for women's historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Equity leads to equality.?

Thriving in IRIS?

At IRIS, we are driving change and help women evolve, prioritising investing in all aspects of well-being, diversity, equity and inclusion, and are dedicated to making our company a place where women can thrive as their authentic selves.??

We work with stakeholders to maintain and accelerate progress, reinforced with expectations being clearly communicated on what it means to have an inclusive culture. Creating this space also encourages women and men to question decisions through the lens of purpose.??

Forging gender parity is no longer an if. It’s a when. We must address this urgently, not wait for the next generation or natural evolution.?We all have a duty to support, retain and advance women; and combating the bias women face at work is critical to getting this right.?

It's incumbent on us as business leaders to take the lead and keep the conversation focused.?

Multifaceted, diverse teams make the world bigger and companies that are gender and ethnically diverse outperform their peers. We are a promoter of diversity at IRIS because diversity, in its truest form – not only talking about gender – creates an incredible working environment.?

A lot has changed in the world since that Nineties moment I'm proud to say and I am personally committed to driving equality, for all the women and young girls who inspire me everyday.

We must step up and be aware of the significant impact that bias has on women’s equality - both conscious and unconscious bias. We need to recognise it. Call it out. We need to #BreakTheBias.?