Since its founding by a group in 1911, International Women’s Day has been observed on 08 March every year. The goal of this international day is to honour Women’s contributions to society, economy, culture, and politics. Additionally, since many companies place a high priority on gender parity, this day also calls for more action to be taken to increase possibilities for women within the workplace.
Statistics reveal that, from October to December 2023, 72.1% of women were employed, up from 52.7% in 1971 (Office for National Statistics). This indicates that the number of women working in business is always rising. These results highlight the significance of International Women’s Day, a celebration the contributions made by women within the workforce.
Employers can make the International Women’s Day celebration meaningful at work in various ways:
Ensure equal distribution of salary
- Gender pay gap is still present. Ensure your salaries are updated and fair across all employees.
- Equal pay, equal opportunities, equality for all genders.
Support working mothers when returning to work
- Women often struggle when returning to work after their maternity leave, offering them support and guidance will help with their return.
- Ensure that you have conducted a return-to-work meeting and ask if there is anything that they may need or require to help with their return.
Employee recognition
- Ensure you recognise your employee’s talent and achievements throughout the year.
Take employees for lunch
- A small gesture of kindness shows appreciation to women within your organisation.
Wear purple
- The colour purple is associated with the theme of International Women’s Day.
- You can ask your female employees to wear a purple outfit to work, or to use the purple ribbon.
- Purple symbolises power, strength, dignity, and justice. It is a simple gesture of advocating your support for the cause and the celebration.
Mentorship and networking programmes
- Celebrate International Women’s Day at work by organising mentorship programmes and network events.
- Inviting inspirational female guest speakers would be a beneficial tool to inspire and provide practical advice.
- Offering skill-building workshops to empower women to accelerate their careers.
For further guidance on how to raise awareness for International Women’s Day within your organisation please contact our Nockolds HR Consultants on 0345 646 0406or email enquiries@nockoldshr.co.uk.