The fight for equity for women in the workplace

I have mixed feelings about International Women’s Day (IWD). Too often people use the day for marketing gimmicks and not to work towards getting equity for women in the workplace. I once arrived at work on IWD to receive pink sweets. I like pink and sweets but the corporate marketing ploy left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I worked in an organisation at the time that didn’t promote equity of pay or promotion opportunities. Women were in some senior roles but in jobs more traditionally dominated by women such as communications. There certainly weren’t enough women at Partner level making decisions about how to run the business or the best way to deliver for clients.

In the large financial services part of the business there was only one woman at partner level. When she became pregnant she hid the fact from her colleagues for 6 months in case they took clients away from her in anticipation of her taking maternity leave. The only person she felt she could tell was me. Neither she or I needed pink sweets. We needed action and fairness so a women’s talents can be allowed to flourish. After all her qualifications weren’t easier to come by – her juggling of family versus home life not easier than a man’s. So why less opportunities at work and potentially less support from male colleagues when she needed time off to have a baby?

I tell you that as context for why my work at the REC and as a part of our EDI Staff Committee and that of many other colleagues is so important. Our work with Recruiters gives us a hugely privileged position to fight for equity for women and other people who are often discriminated against in the workplace. Recruiters make life changing decisions about whether someone is suitable to be put in front of an employer as a potential candidate. More women in decision making roles in our industry means hopefully less bias when considering which roles women can and can’t be put forward for. We want women making hiring decision in all sectors, not just typically female dominated sectors. More women recruiting for construction and driving for example would be great. 

The REC is doing some great work on furthering EDI internally and has good plans for how to help members too. Our work on gender pay gap reporting is hugely important and i know we are working on a menopause policy. I am looking forward as an older woman in the workplace to all places of employment making progress in this area. I am reassured that the REC is doing its bit in leading the way on workplace equity. I hope I can continue to be a part of that work and indeed benefit from it.