International Women’s Day (IWD) is one of our most steadfast celebrations of the year, not only does it showcase the tremendous change women are making across the globe, but it is also an opportunity to recognise and reward the continued growth that businesses are making across diversity and inclusion.
Gender equality
The figure stands at just 32% of the proportion of women in senior management roles globally.
In the UK, latest figures show that we sit at 33% of women in director level roles, and in a recent survey listed second internationally for our inclusivity across FTSE100 companies.
It’s a proven fact that having female leaders in positions of influence, serving as role models is not only critical to the career advancement of women, but stances on driving broader societal impacts on pay equity, changing workplace policies in behaviours that benefit both men and women, as well as attracting a more diverse workforce.
The need to work towards gender equality AND inclusivity across commercial operations is one that we all need to contribute to, to drive meaningful change for women across the globe.
Recently, there’s been some significant leaps in diversity at the top from the likes of M&S appointing Cheryl Potter as their non-executive director, making its boardroom a female majority, Helen Miles is Severn Trent’s new CFO and was the first FTSE100 firm to create an all-women board, Susie Wolff has been appointed the director of the F1 Academy in an unprecedented example and openly states she ‘hopes to inspire more women into sport’. While in contrast the press has reported that FIFA has been heavily criticised for the appointment of a female supermodel Adriana Lima in an ambassador role.
Germany has announced last week the introduction of the ‘feminist foreign policy’ with the aim to have more women in senior roles.
Culture and support
Ways in which you can develop diversity in your culture and support women’s growth:
- Prioritise sponsoring and mentoring for female employees.
- Listen and measure. Companies need a data-driven approach to real inclusivity
- Deliver unconscious bias training and development
- Improve policies, such as flexible working and take lessons from the pandemic
- Reduce the gender pay gap and make payment schemes fair and equal
- Be an advocate for inclusivity across the organisation
Brighter Directions are champions of women in business, and women in senior roles with many of our clients being female-run-operations, and having the honour to work on global life-changing campaigns over the past year such as new technology advances for Breast Cancer, innovative diversity campaigns for non-traditional industry clients, and currently also a challenging and emotive FGM campaign awareness across Africa. But we are also committed to our continued advocacy of women, including our unwavering support to the likes of the Women In awards globally, through to driving our own culture and inclusive operations.
So, as a final thought, let us take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible, talented women we have in our own business, who juggle everyday and still pull out all the stops to thrive… we are proud of the business we have, because of you….
