International women’s day - what have your employers done that you thought was really good?

[HermioneWeasley]

Hi, I’m looking for inspiration for what we can do. I’ve got permission to go wild, external speakers, poetry slams, could be anything. What have you seen companies do that you thought was really good?

Maybe get your employer to count up all their employees and see how many senior male staff there are compared with female ones.

I agree. I like it on IWD when all of the company tweets about supporting their amazing female employees is followed by the gender pay gap bot tweeting their gender pay gap figures. Too much lip service.

I would like it if my company consulted its female employees on the barriers they face at work on getting into the senior positions and did something about it.

You could extend this to ask questions anonymously to show why there’s a difference. For example ask their sex and

~ask senior levels if anyone mentored/ supported/ was influential in them reaching their role
~ask senior levels what the hardest challenge was for them to overcome in reaching their role
~ask junior levels what the main things are holding them back from progressing
~ask junior levels if they want to advance to the next level in the next 1 or 2 years, if not why not?
~ask how their average week breaks down between work/ childcare and housework/ other care responsibilities / free time

Best thing I was at was a union organised women's event, where older women talked about their experiences in the sector from the 70s up - some really shocking experiences, and led into a discussion current issue eg having to be so grateful for getting part time work, expectation to be available for urgent issues while off, career progression stopping if working part-time etc.

No changes in work practices came from it, but it was a good reminder that we shouldn't feel we have to be so grateful for flexibile hours, and it was a reminder to young women that there are on-going issues in the workplace for women.

Worst was pink cupcakes in the kitchenettes on each floor, absolutely cringe.

Thanks for these, love the sound of the older women sharing their workplace experiences

In lockdown, we had an online Q&A with women from across the organisation, at various levels, and were invited to bring our daughters. We have continued to do this, but no schoolchildren have been able to attend in recent years.

I like events with female senior leadership talking about their career, that seems to go down well.

In my DH’s team they did a quiz for IWD…he won and was very embarrassed. 😂