Let’s make some noise for International Women’s Day 2016
I have two daughters. I am one of five daughters. The status of women in the world always has been, and always will be, important to me. Being that today is International Women’s Day 2016, we’re gonna make some ruckus.
I was lucky to grow up in a family in which my gender was never a reason for not achieving whatever I wanted. My parents did not limit us. They pushed us, not too hard, but to the extent that we needed to be pushed. From the time I was little, it was just a known fact that I would go to college, and one day I would be a professional. In whatever career I wanted.
I don’t remember ever hearing the words, “You can’t do that. You’re a girl.”
[bctt tweet=”Today we don the capes. Today we make noise. #pledgeforparity #IWD2016 #girlmom #genderequality”]
I spent a year abroad in France during college. I traveled on my own, had huge adventures. I moved overseas on my own after graduating college. I joined the military. I just DID these things. It never crossed my mind that I couldn’t do those things. And I don’t intend it to ever be an issue for my girls either.
But sadly, this is not the case everywhere. In a report called Women in the Workplace, part of a long-term partnership between LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company to encourage female leadership and foster gender equality in the workplace, the researchers found the following:
Based on employee pipeline data from 118 companies in 2015 and 60 companies in 2012, two broad themes emerge: women are still underrepresented, and they face real barriers to advancement.
WHAT?
As my friend Debbie would exclaim: “Shut the FRONT DOOR!”
Women in America still face REAL barriers to advancement. Not cool.
My girls are young. We have the chance to make some real strides in gender equality before they enter the workplace.
We have the power of moms on our side.
Moms, let’s make some noise.
You can find out about all sorts of activities and ways to take action on the International Women’s Day 2016 Website.
If you’re nerdy like me and enjoy reading reports and data, check out these resources (and more on their website):
EY’s The time for gender parity is now survey documents the economic imperative of gender parity and outlines three accelerators to help achieve it
EY’s Women. Fast forward on ey.com is a digital hub with resources and guidance for women in the workforce, women in leadership, women entrepreneurs and women athletes
McKinsey & Company report Unlocking the full potential of women at work features 60 companies that show how women have fuelled the US economy and its largest corporations
McKinsey & Company study, in partnership with LeanIn Women in the workplace discusses the state of women in America
EY’s Women in the public sector report reveals women are woefully under-represented in the public sector but a significant part of the workforce
EY study: Global generations is a survey of workers in eight countries about what they want from their jobs
What can you do right now? Start by taking the pledge for parity: