‘Unlimit’ed Access: Female Voices Roundtable

“You’ve made it, so now show other women you did it, how you got there and how others can get there also”

Charlotte

Despite the fact that various steps are being taken to create a space of gender parity and the conversation is reaching more mainstream platforms and organisations,  there is still resistance which can be seen in the stigmas and experiences of women, gender pay gap, and clear statistics that highlight continued disparity. Across the world, women are faced with not only bias but also cultural expectation to adhere to particular ways of behaving, living and performing.

What is Women’s History Month?

The annual event is a dedicated month to highlight contributions of women to our society and their presence in events in history. Celebrated in March, the main focal point has centred around International Women’s Day which occurs on March 8^th each year and has been long celebrated since the early 1900s. Beginning during a time of precariousness in the industrialising world, the population begun to boom, and ideologies evolved rapidly; and as did the views on women.

Since the 2000s International Women’s Day has become an official holiday in counties such as Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. Traditionally the day and month is seen with both men and women honouring the female figures in their lives with gestures of kindness. From a professional standpoint we see organisations showering light and adoration towards female colleagues and celebrations around the emancipation of women to reach equality. In our current society, the month is used to discuss the disparity in gender equality in society as a whole, including places of work. Globally women form a web of localised and international conversation and activity such as political rallies, conferences, driving governmental changes, networking events and creative activities.

The Roundtable Dissected

With so much growth and traction around our Female Voices series, Unlimit was privileged to be included in key conversations and recounts of experiences from different women across the world. A year on, and approaching Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, it felt more fitting than ever to bring some of our guests together to collaborate and brainstorm over the numerous methods of uplifting others within the space. At Unlimit, we embrace equity, encourage equality and challenge boundaries; and with that came our first roundtable focused on “Creating Opportunity and Space: The Female Community”.  Carefully cultivated, the roundtable brings to light topics which are highly discussed through social media, TV and female communities, but less so in the place of work. By bringing together professional women who are leaders in their places of work, we hope to increase the awareness of female experience in a positive light – shifting misconceptions, bias and misrepresentation through real experiences.

Why is this important to do?

Creating a safe space for all at work is  fundamental for success. Whilst people drive completion of projects through logistics and skillsets, there is often a clear omission of humanity in the world of business. By accepting people for who they are, businesses can uplift their employee satisfaction and create more inclusive spaces for people that removes all isms. A Hubspot survey showed that 69% of employees felt that they would work harder if they felt their efforts were better recognised. When applying this to women, we would see a higher rate of retention, progression opportunities and dedicated colleagues in our places of work.

We see a generation of women who are breaking the glass ceiling and are often referred to as ‘the have it all woman’ – working, raising families, veering away from ‘feminine’ norms and beyond. But these women also emerged from a generation of hardship, facing outward sexism at work and a lack of support from personal areas of their lives. Consequently, we have begun to see a stream of mature women who are passionate about supporting those of their own ages and younger to pursue their passions. These groups of collaborators understand the importance of women feeling satisfied that they have created their own career which is imperative in an age where the demise of female efforts continues to occur. With pockets of communities being built to support and uplift women, the sense of ‘self’ has evolved into more of a unified term – ‘women’. Women of the ‘self’ are collating at events, panels, charities, education groups and places of work to learn from each other; but all remaining on a path to reaching a goal of whatever is deemed successful to that individual. During our roundtable, we passionately discuss the perception of what it means to be self-made, and how women do not need to seek solitude and struggle to create themselves but can instead benefit from a community of women who support each other.

“There’s a positive notion behind being self-made… you can measure success in different ways. But creating opportunities in your life is not a constraint because many opportunities available to everyone may not be the right fit for you – and only you know what suits you the best”

Agata

Why we need more women in our industries

The percentage of women in STEM fields sits at 26.9%. Aside from the leering statistics that show we lack women in and around STEM organisations, the long-standing gender gap has formed a cyclic pattern. With less women entering STEM subjects in school and further education, it also reduces the pool available for companies to commit to diverse hiring. In our Female Voices Roundtable, our guests discuss overcoming imposter syndrome and the need for nurturing women and girls of all ages, to break the cycle and enhance gender equality in our industries which will not only widen the talent pool but also act as inspiration for others who have shied away from exploring the subjects.

Without a doubt the diversity in a workplace brings a greater array of ideas, knowledge, thought processes and management methods. For instance, Fortune 500 companies that have more women on boards have been found to do better financially. Nonetheless, the topic remains rife because despite active efforts of communities and organisations to uplift the numbers, there continues to be an overt and covert discouragement for women in the forms of sexism, prejudice, unwelcoming environments and beyond. When we consider that UNESCO estimates that by 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to STEM, the need to enhance and nurture female interest in our industries is imperative to create an equal environment.

A key topic of discussion in our roundtable is around the perception of women being nurturing at work. Typically, women are perceived to be emotive, empathetic and led by their emotion rather than pragmatism, and our guests challenge the negative gaze.

“I think that the word nurturing is kind of sometimes misunderstood in the workplace. People see this as a weakness, people see, or if you’re a nurturer, you’ll probably really motherly or you’re really maternal.”

Charlotte

Nurturing leaders in a place of work do not necessarily lead with emotion first, but better implement the idea that employees are also individuals. Different management types create more diverse teams and a better holistic environment, where individuals are appreciated for their differences and nurtured accordingly to bring out the best in them and encourage growth. This can be through communication, mentorship, understanding of work-life balance and overall enhancement of collaboration. It is these stigmas which need to be broken down in order to break the glass ceiling for women and so that women can be better welcomed into an open environment that appreciates individuals and respects individuals for who they are.

“There should definitely be a balance in being a nurturing woman. It is important to be, it is important to listen to your team members. It is important to provide support. It is important to train to be a mentor.”

Tatjana

Our roundtable highlights women to celebrate difference – not only in gender but in skills, perceptions and ideas. In continuation of our efforts to promote collaboration and conversation around women in STEM, we hope to bring positive change and promote a more equal tomorrow for all.