International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as raising awareness about women’s equality.
This year the theme is #ChooseToChallenge; We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
To celebrate all of the wonderful women at System Concepts (we make up 77% of the team!) we asked them to raise a hand #ChooseToChallenge and share with us some of their experiences, advice and ambitions for achieving an inclusive world.
What privileges and challenges have you found comes with being a woman in society today?
As women we are more commonly judged on our appearances (in both a positive and negative way) people then expect you to act or be a certain way based on their judgement. This can sometimes mean that they do not take respect or value your opinions, this can be especially difficult in a work scenario.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
This is so important, women are often pitted against each other (we see it in mainstream media all the time, when this is rarely the case with men), when in reality we are not all against each other but very much pushing / pulling our girl gang along with us.
To me it means to showing up and being supportive, letting your friends, colleagues and family members know that you are there for them.
What do you admire about the women you work with or have worked with in the past?
I consider myself very lucky to work with a team of amazing women. I do not take for granted the supportive, flexible working environment which has enabled me to continue working in a job I love after having my two children. I know there are many women out there who have not been so fortunate.
What will you do in 2021 to help forge a gender equal world?
I want to raise my boys to know that women can have a successful career as well as being a Mum. Working from home and home schooling during this pandemic has opened up more conversations about what Mummy does at work and it’s something I’m going to be more mindful of talking about with them.
What’s the best piece of advice a female colleague has given you?
Enjoy being a woman – you do not have to be one of the boys to succeed.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
Female support is vital and gives one the courage to carry on.
What privileges and challenges have you found comes with being a woman in society today? What will you do in 2021 to help forge a gender equal world?
Whilst travelling through developing countries, I can recall several instances where I have felt vulnerable as a woman in a way that I haven’t experienced in the UK. I feel privileged to have always felt valued and listened to, and to have had equal opportunities, even in male dominated work environments. To achieve this equality worldwide, next time I witness gender bias (whether in the UK or abroad), I pledge to stand up for myself or others, and to actively support women both personally and in business to help them succeed.
What’s the best piece of advice a female colleague has given you?
Before my very first time facilitating some user research, our female MD asked me how I was feeling about it. I disclosed that I was feeling nervous, to which she reminded me that I had been an Occupational Therapist, extracting information from people for years, and this was just the same. As an empathetic woman who loves listening to other people’s stories, this empowered me and reminded me how well suited I am to this career; digging deep to get answers to the right questions.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
I firmly believe that we should all strive to lift each other up, regardless of gender. However, women seem to be more susceptible to imposter syndrome and feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. It’s therefore even more important that women empower each other. System Concepts fosters a very positive work culture through the core values instilled in each of us; enabling, innovative, genuine and assured.
Outside of work, I manage a road cycling club comprising 250 members in which I have tried to introduce those same values. I take pride in there being an almost equal gender split in a male-dominant sport, with women represented across all ability groups and women leading mixed gender groups to conquer every challenge we set ourselves, side by side. There, lifting people up means giving women the confidence to do something outside of their comfort zone, and celebrating every victory alongside them.
What do you admire about the women you work with or have worked with in the past?
I admire the adaptability of the women I work with. It feels like a near infinite ability to adapt to situations, roles, environments and challenges. And the grace with which many women achieve this astounds me.
How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?
I feel that this is a key way for women to rise to meet their potential in society (at work and at home). To me this means calling out inequalities, supporting each other and lifting our colleagues up with us rather than competing against each other.
What will you do in 2021 to help forge a gender equal world?
In my current Coronavirus bubble, where (together with my husband), we have to continue on with our careers while home schooling and taking care of our 4 year old scientist-in-the-making and our 1 year old stuntman-in-the-making, committing to tackle something as large as a gender equal world feels like a near impossible challenge. But when I thought about it, I realised that this is something I am helping to achieve in my own little way, and we all know that a small change can make a big difference!
For me, the key to achieving gender equality is in the conversations we have, the expectations we set and relationships we build. It is in the discussions I have with my husband, when we try to balance and make compromises on our needs, so that we both get equal priority. It is also in the examples we set our kids, where we try not to force gender stereotypes and expectations on them and teach them that being kind to everyone is the minimum level of how they should function. So this year, I am going to commit to being more conscious of a more gender equal world, within my small bubble of those nearest and dearest to me.
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