by Paul Ford
With our CEO Linda Perneau, COO Lori Schultz, Chief Legal Officer Nancy Avedissian and a positive wealth of talented women in senior and strategic roles across our global organisation, Volt is happy to celebrate International Women’s Day.
International Women's Day tries to raise the awareness of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The first International Women's Day took place in 1911, supported by over one million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific.
The theme for IWD in 2020 is #Eachfor Equal.
However, The latest United Nations Development Programme Report makes for sobering reading. Despite remarkable progress in some areas, no country in the world has achieved gender equality. Women and girls are still discriminated against in health, education, at home and in the workplace. With data taken from 75 countries covering 80% of the world’s population, the Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) shows that nearly 90% of both men and women hold some form of bias against women. Nearly half think that men make better political leaders, 40% believe that men are better business executives and have more right to a job when employment is scarce, and 28% still feel that it is justified for a man to beat a woman.
And though the move towards equality is progressing in a number of countries, there’s actually push back in others. If current trends continue, the global target for gender equality by 2030 is likely to be missed by at least 67 countries, accounting for 2.1 billion women and girls, and though that includes many of the poorer nations, the United States of America is also in that number.
Now, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.
We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements. Or we elect to do nothing, and champion unfairness by doing so.
Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.
The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal workplaces, gender equal sports coverage, gender equality in health and wealth ... so let's make it happen.
Let's be #EachforEqual.