What happens when we include women?
When women are included in corporate decision-making, they bring analytical perseverance, provide fresh and inclusive perspectives that reflect the nuanced impacts of working parenthood and gender inequity, and encourage deeper conversations. When women are included in politics, cultural attitudes about their leadership abilities improve along with policies affecting their education and health. When women are included in sports, they experience positive mental and physical health outcomes and develop important management and teamwork skills.
March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. And while we celebrate and advocate for women’s equality every day, on this day, we focus on forging a more inclusive world for women in male-dominated industries, social sectors, and beyond.
Because when women are included, they thrive. We all do.
Per the IWD 2024 campaign, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment when women are inspired to be included.
I’ve recently been spending a lot of time with groups of women for my work, for fun (take that girls’ trip with old friends!), and for community service. I’m always pleasantly struck by how and how meaningfully women bond. Whether they are at diverse points in their motherhood journeys and careers, have wide-ranging preferences in terms of how they like to travel or the ways they balance work and personal lives, or are from various socioeconomic statuses and hometowns, women can form significant connections when they are inclusive of each other.
Women can connect over shared difficult (and gendered) experiences, from breast cancer to birth trauma, from divorce to discrimination in the workplace. They tend to also share resources. Indeed, when women come together, they are empowered.
I encourage women – and all people – to adhere to the IWD inclusion suggestions, including supporting women and girls in leadership roles, encouraging women’s economic empowerment, and helping women and girls make informed health-related decisions.
Consider the negative consequences when women aren’t included, whether in a professional or personal setting. Remember, you have so much more to gain by including women. And, as this year’s IWD campaign emphasizes, when the treatment of women is not equitable, we must take action – each time, every time.
