International Women’s Day: why equity matters to men in leadership

International Women’s Day, on the 8th of March, has been a key date in the women’s rights movement for decades - and even a public holiday in some countries. Its earliest version reputedly taking place in America in 1909, it was adopted by the United Nations in 1977 as the mainstream global holiday we recognise now.

Yet, today, in 2023, it is more important than ever to keep moving the conversation forward.

What IWD means to me

International Women’s Day is a day to remember women all over the world. To celebrate them and all that they encompass.

However, whilst great strides forward have been made by - and for - women, we are a long way from women being safe to lead lives free from the threat of danger and repression - be that close to home or further afield. Vast inequalities still exist between women and men worldwide, in all areas of everyday life and work.

Where it all started

My own experience was of growing up with a mother who stayed at home and a father who went out to work. I learnt that my father's work was significantly more valued than that of my mother's 'home working': going out to work and having a job that earnt money had more value than my mother's work cooking, cleaning, mending, baking, ironing, shopping, looking after the house and home - and looking nice.
I also learnt that because my father earned the money that gave him more power in decision making. He made the decisions, which seemed very unfair given that they both worked hard doing what they did to create a home and take us on holiday. My mother did, for a while, chair 'The Women's Luncheon Club' local to where we lived. I felt proud of her and was sad when she handed over the role of Chair.
Always curious and fascinated by how people interacted, I was intrigued by language that assumed all professional roles were 'he' and 'his', and the fact that often the English language had a derivative and diminutive word for a woman doing the same role.

Whilst studying for my degree in 'Communication Studies', I discovered feminism, first learnt about matriarchy, and got more curious about Women's Rights.

I joined a women's group and I started to find my voice. To speak up in groups where previously I would have only listened, feeling unable to contribute to discussions.

My first experience of feeling truly safe to speak up was in a group led by John Heron, in which everyone got a chance to speak and to be heard. It was an awakening to the power of feeling safe enough to speak: to have a voice, to not feel judged, and to be accepted in a safe, challenging, and supportive environment.

It was the beginning of a journey.

I knew I had found my metier - that working with people and creating an environment in which people could be seen, heard, and understood was what I wanted to do. I studied and went to more workshops, all the time challenging myself. Challenging assumptions, biases and judgements that I had unconsciously learnt.

This journey is ongoing.

Books like Gill Whitty-Collins’ Why Men Win At Work are a must-read for anybody looking to end gender inequality. My Leaders in Conversation podcast with her is an eye-opening episode. You can also soon listen to Gill reading her book - keep a lookout for the release via her LinkedIn.

Stacey Copeland's story of having to pretend to be a boy in order to play football, and her pioneering professional boxing for women is another inspiring and trailblazing one.

I’ve especially enjoyed speaking to, and learning from, Karen Dobres - equity champion and champion of social change through football - and one of the many proud owners of Lewes FC where the men have also made a commitment to call each other out. Find out more about Lewes FC and their #CallHimOut campaign.

And, as a final recommendation, listen to my conversation with Helen Pankhurst - women's rights activist, and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst. Her focus on Deeds not Words is utterly insightful.

You can listen to all of these remarkable women, and many more, here.

Why equity matters to men in leadership.

Why are inclusivity, diversity and equity an integral part of leading and of leadership?

I believe that creating cultures of care and connection in which people feel valued and are able to add value through their unique contribution (and in which people feel a sense of belonging) has to be led by the leaders of the organisation. They have to be lived by everyone through their behaviours - in particular, through increasing awareness of the impact on others of our own behaviour, and being sensitive to this.

There is an important distinction between saying what we think and how we feel and caring about how this is experienced, versus saying what we think and how we feel and not caring about our impact on others.

In the same way that sustainability and the climate emergency needs to be at the top of every leader's agenda, so, too, does inclusivity and diversity.

It’s about having a mindset of curiosity, care and courage, and then having conversations which help increase awareness of behaviours. How we behave with each other matters, the language we use matters.

Stopping to think and to learn from each other, to really listen to understand - especially to people who are different from us - is vital. Seeking out different perspectives, different people and challenging ourselves to think big and to learn from each other is the best fuel for growth (both personal and business).