What is Women's History Month?
March marks the celebration of Women's History Month, a time dedicated to honouring and recognising the contributions and achievements of Women throughout history.
This annual observance is not only an opportunity to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality in our sectors, but also a reminder of the work that still needs to be done.
Despite progress with gender pay gaps, and recent achievements announced by the FTSE Women Leader’s Review, Women across the world still face barriers and inequalities in the workplace, including lack of representation in leadership roles, and workplace discrimination. Women's History Month serves as a reminder of these challenges and the ongoing need to advocate for gender equality.
Women's History Month also provides a platform to highlight the remarkable achievements of Women in all sectors and industries. For WiHTL and DiR, it will be a time to celebrate our 2024 Women to Watch Index, and share the powerful insights of our ‘Women in Work’ survey, for which over 1,000 women respondents shared their lived experiences, the barriers they face while advancing their careers, and the ambition and aspiration which drives them.
Why is Women’s History Month an opportunity for employers?:
Demonstrating commitment to Inclusivity and Diversity:
By actively engaging with Women's History Month, employers demonstrate their commitment to fair and progressive practices. Spotlighting the achievements of Women sends a powerful message of support and respect for diversity to the entire workforce. Connecting the focus month to your EDI values is the perfect way to show how the business is aligning with the EDI vision for the future, and for businesses with great policy enhancements, it’s a good opportunity to highlight what you offer and how it exceeds the statutory minimum.
Promoting Employee Engagement:
Women’s History Month is an ideal opportunity to signpost colleagues to your relevant Employee Resource Groups to increase engagement and extend internal personal support.
Attracting and Retaining Talent:
In the current competitive job market, employees, particularly millennials and Gen Z, value working for companies that prioritise diversity, equity, and inclusion. Actively engaging with Women's History Month can help employers attract top talent and retain their existing employees. One idea for businesses is to showcase the great Women you have in all areas of the business, with a ‘Get to Know’ series, or a chance for Women with protected characteristics to speak about their career journey.
Driving Innovation and Business Success:
Diverse teams are proven to be more innovative and better equipped to solve complex problems. A great initiative for Women’s History Month would be to celebrate Women who have influenced the business you work in in the past, or Women who have contributed to essential innovation in the present day.
Employers can use International Women’s Day (8th March) and the whole Women’s History Month of March to shine a spotlight on their achievements and commitments for the future, proving that progressing the careers of Women is not the key focus at this particular time, but all year round.