The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #embraceequity. A call to action for women everywhere to find their voice and make change happen. Gender equity can’t just be seen as a nice-to-have, it needs to be a must-have. It’s time to join the conversation and follow the ABC’s below to challenge the status quo and embrace diversity and inclusion.
Awareness
As women, we can sometimes be our own worst enemy, putting everyone else’s needs before our own. We can’t hope to achieve gender equity if we don’t believe in our right to have it. Draw on your self-awareness and take the time to reflect on how you view your true worth. Notice the next time you start talking yourself down – whether it’s undervaluing your natural strengths or allowing other people to talk over you. Remember if you don’t have equity in your personal life, you will struggle to achieve equity in the workplace.
Balance the playing field
Once you’ve identified those areas of your life where you are on the back foot, it’s time to make an action plan to help you change this. As a rule, women excel at building strong relationships, so use your network to help you find support. It could be a mentor or colleague to help bolster your self-confidence and work with you to achieve the outcome you deserve. Picture someone you admire who’s at the height of their game, then role model their behaviour by asking yourself what they would say and do in a similar situation.
Challenge the status quo
Develop your self-reliance, so you have the confidence to back yourself, set boundaries and say ‘no’ when appropriate. It’s about having the courage of your convictions and calling out unreasonable behaviour. If you aren’t confident about yourself and your ability, you will be hard-pressed to convince other people to believe in you too. A powerful way to help make change happen is to visualise what success looks like to you. Whether it’s seeing your next pay-rise on your payslip or updating LinkedIn with your new job title, by setting your sights high, you will reap the rewards of improved performance and move a step closer to achieving gender equity.
By following the steps above to embrace equity, you will identify your self-limiting beliefs, learn how to back yourself and have the confidence to make change happen. Remember, as Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, “no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
