International Women’s Day marks the recognition of one of the most discussed agendas in the workplace and the 5th Sustainable Development Goal which is to achieve gender equality.
Over the last few decades, we have seen the role of a woman evolve from silent partners to visible contributors and the call for diversity in the workplace stems from the impact that women have made since the beginning of time and have proven the value of their multi-faceted nature.
However, with the implementation of gender inclusion also came the stereotypical pigeonhole that society has placed on women based on their age, marital status, beliefs and socio-economic status.
Overall, there has been a demonstration of these unwritten rules which has affected the employment of women because employers have used this information to attain whether they would be right for their organisation against their judgment of their technical know-how.
As women continue to make their footprints in society, we still face the complexities of gender inclusion; the grey areas of women-friendly company policies and most importantly, the emotional and professional struggle to handle the dynamics of the workplace that was once predominately male-driven.
Women in the professional space generally have to work twice as hard to be noticed and thrice as hard to supersede their male counterparts, unfortunately it’s the unwritten rule. However, because of this, we are seeing a strong force of women using their natural attributes both personally and professionally to carve a niche of leadership using their natural ability to be nurturing.
So, with all this being said do you choose to challenge?
I think as a collective, we are already challenging the economy to do better and be better; we are already breaking grounds, shattering ceilings and creating a lot of firsts in the industry. From being a female vice president of our generation to being the first female of a global trade organization; we are truly challenging the economy to rise to the occasion.
Between you and I, we can challenge the many areas that require more inclusion in our own environment, be it in the workplace, the classroom, or the communities.
How? By adapting a more collaborative approach by leveraging on our individual strengths, to form a unit that comprises of different ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic differences, and everything in between. The message we are conveying to the rest of the world is that as a unit, we are powerful. But together, we are a force that chooses to challenge the instability of diversity and inclusion.
Jennifer Oyelade writes from the UK
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