Celebrating International Women’s Day 2022

March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global celebration of women’s social, economic, and political accomplishments. First held 111 years ago, it serves as a call to action to accelerate gender parity.

Since the first commemoration, women have made incredible headway and now even earn the majority of bachelors and advanced degrees. Yet, despite the progress, more needs to be done, including in the workplace. By supporting additional inclusion, improved experiences, and better communication, everyone can ally and help women go further.

What everyone can do

• Recognize achievements and build upon them: Women now account for 8.1% of Fortune 500 CEOs—double from five years ago—and appointments to corporate boards are up too. On the other hand, despite receiving higher performance ratings, many other women are passed over because of misjudged potential. Let’s do more to build on their successes by recognizing achievements and aligning them to career growth opportunities.
   
• Listen with purpose: Nine out of every ten global companies now have at least one woman in their senior management teams, up from 66% in 2017. Diversity and inclusion policies are succeeding, but research shows that women still experience difficulties speaking up. All of us should create inclusive opportunities so that everyone can be heard, whether it’s acknowledging expertise or pulling in voices that otherwise might be missing.
   
• Offer support at work and home: 81.2% of working mothers with children under 17 participate in the labor force full-time, and more women than ever are serving as the primary breadwinners in their families. As they balance home and work lives, everyone should encourage companies to offer benefits such as equal pay, paid leave, and flexible working arrangements. Similar support should also be offered to women who feel empowered to choose a career as the CEOs of their families, including advocating for family-friendly government policies.

Accelerating progress

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the progress women have made and how much further we can go. Whether it’s providing an inclusive space for all to share their voice or recognizing accomplishments, everyone has a part to play in creating a more inclusive workplace where we can redefine what’s possible.

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