Happy International Women's Day! Every year on March 8th, International Women’s Day is marked around the world. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in Europe in 1911 on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended rallies to campaign for women’s rights and to end discrimination. It was first celebrated by the United Nations in 1975.
In addition to celebrating women, International Women’s Day marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity, including in the workplace.
Groups come together worldwide each year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about work that needs to be done to advance equality, lobby for change such as closing the gender pay gap, and to help raise funds for female-focused charities.
Each year, the day focuses on a particular theme. The theme for 2022 is #BreakTheBias.
Bias can be deliberate or unconscious, and it can make it difficult for women to move ahead in the workplace. It isn’t enough to just know bias exists, practical action is needed to help break the bias and create an even playing field.
What Ryman is doing to break the bias
Ryman are committed to promoting a work environment that appreciates the value of diversity and supports gender equality.
To do this, Ryman’s Board has established measurable objectives for achieving gender diversity as part of Ryman’s diversity policy, and progress is assessed annually to see that these targets are being met.
For example, the gender pay gap is a complex issue that negatively affects many women in New Zealand and Australia. To combat this, Ryman continually review processes and policies to promote and ensure pay equity across gender and ethnicity for Ryman team members.
Many women also juggle work and childcare responsibilities, and family-friendly policies such as flexible hours, working from home, and set shifts can make this easier for many team members.
Thank you
On a more personal level, this is also a day where we can all say a huge thank you to the amazing women in our lives and show them acknowledgement and appreciation.
If you would like to learn more about International Women’s Day, visit www.internationalwomensday.com
