Next week is International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. And the theme for 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge
Every year on 8th March, people around the world raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity, and fundraise for female-focused charities.
The 2021 campaign theme #ChooseToChallenge will focus on encouraging people to commit to call out inequality, when and where they see it.
From challenge comes change, and that's why this year The Female Lead are choosing to challenge why women have still not achieved EQUAL PAY and PROGRESSION in the UK workplace?
International Women's Day has occurred for well over a century with the first gathering held in 1911.
110 years later, after decades of legislation, equality in education and shifts in gender norms, The Female Lead want to know why we are still fighting for equality in the workplace, and why we're even taking a step backwards.
The annual April deadline for firms to report on their gender pay gap was suspended in 2020 due to coronavirus. And this year, companies will have another six months to report on their gender pay gap before action is taken against them, the equalities watchdog said.
The Female Lead are strongly behind gender pay gap reporting, which only began nearly four years ago, and has already taken a back seat at a time when it is needed most. Women have been disproportionately affected by the recession caused by Covid-19, with the London School of Economics finding that women were more likely to experience unemployment and wage cuts.
Now more than ever companies need to make changes to support women in the workplace in the same way that men are supported.
The Female Lead will be hosting a LIVE event on Tuesday 9th March for International Women's Day to talk about this in more depth.
We'll also be busting myths about women at work, revealing the persistent problems that stand in our way and finding the solutions to move forward.
This event will expand on The Female Lead’s new research, Women at Work: Breaking Free of the Unentitled Mindset, which takes a deep dive into the complex decisions that women have to make around their careers and the world that they have to navigate.
We have an expert panel to discuss the continual barriers women face, new challenges that have arisen in the last year, and what businesses can do to solve these problems.
We will be joined by:
- Edwina Dunn OBE, Founder of The Female Lead and data science entrepreneur
- Dr Terri Apter, Cambridge University Psychologist and author
- Harriet Minter, Journalist, broadcaster and author of WFH (Working From Home): How to build a career you love when you're not in the office
- Vanessa Sanyauke, Founder of Girls Talk London, writer and mentor
- Dulcie Swanston, Business coach and speaker
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. And we can all choose to challenge the structures that hold women back and find a way towards equality, success and fulfilment.
Join us for what will be an inspiring and powerful discussion! Click here to find out more.