International Women's Day 2022: We've come a long way, and we have a long way to go...

In 1911 the first International Women's Day took place and rallied for women's rights to work, vote, hold public office, and end discrimination. 95 years later, the Me Too movement was born and 11 years after that, it gained some traction on Twitter- #MeToo was trending and women were starting to be heard. However, that same year, 2017, you had more of a chance of being a CEO if you were called John.. or Peter… or David.. than you did if you were a woman.

111 years after the first International Women's Day, in 2022, women are still battling sexism, discrimination, and stereotypes- still fighting for their voices to be heard. The wage gap in Australia is 22.8%, men are twice as likely to earn over $120,000 a year, 8% of women lost their jobs during COVID (compared to 4% of men)- and we are still trying to dismantle the patriarchy.

In many ways, we have come a long way - but we still have a long way to go. 

In 2020, women made up almost half of the workforce in Australia, up from 30% participation in 1966. Women working in STEM in the UK is up 9.6% since 2015 and some studies have found that there's been a 15% increase in girls citing 'doctor' as their dream job since 2000. In 2022, we have more female CEOs than ever, however, you read further down the page and find out only 1 in 23 CEO positions filled in 2021 went to women and they make up only 6.2% of the CEOs of Australia's 300 largest companies.

We still live in a society that wants to categorise women by age and marital status (make sure she has ‘Ms’ as her title so we know she's old and unmarried), fathers are praised for spending time with their children (the amazing dad - whilst women? That’s their job… isn't it?). Our society masks male-centred terminology as "gender-neutral language" (cue man-kind, man-made, hey guys, hey dude). We want a 'strong woman' (because, you know, by default, women are weak and emotional). We're still getting the women to organise all the birthdays, clean all the kitchens, and do all the ironing.

In 2022, we're still not basking in a co-designed world free from bias, discrimination, and gender roles- we're still living in a world designed by men, for men and run by men (cue the infamously long lines for any public female bathroom or trials for the male contraceptive pill being halted due to side effects… the same side effects currently experienced by millions of women around the world). In 2022, the patriarchy is alive and well- and is a term that is certain to elicit some eye rolls. But, our system, our structure, the patriarchy, needs to be changed - not just for women, but for everyone- the men too. The men who are told to be strong, independent, unemotional, logical and confident. The men who are offered no support after losing a child and the men whose sexual assault experience is dismissed as people struggle to wonder how a man can be raped and question if he enjoyed it. We'd all benefit from a new system, a new structure - we are all just fish, struggling upstream - in a current called the patriarchy. We need to listen and hear diverse voices so we can co-design a new structure- a structure that works for everyone.

95 years after women in the UK were given equal voting rights to men, we have made some progress. 50 years after the equal rights act was passed in the USA, there is some hope. But in 2022, 1 year after South Australia decriminalised abortion, discrimination and bias is still running rampant in every community and women are still fighting for their voices to be heard.

International Women's Day is a day to celebrate all women and embrace their diversities and intersections. We celebrate the women of the past, women of the present, and the women of the future. It is a day to recognise the discrimination and bias that women are still facing in 2022- 111 years after the first International Women's Day rallies took place in the hopes of ending discrimination. The theme for 2022, Break the Bias, aims to confront conscious and unconscious gender bias in all communities, including the workplace. We want to create and promote a world and workplace that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive - free from bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. However, ending gender discrimination and unlearning biases is a massive task- one that won’t take place overnight. Changes need to be made on an organisational level, however, to foster an inclusive environment, our workforce also needs to be aware, need to be allies and activists, a voice for women. We need our people to be feminists (you know... basically just believing in equal rights), to raise women up, and recognise that our work and our lives are better with their input.

So… what can you do today?

Examine yourself, examine your thoughts

• Everyone has biases, whether they would like to admit it or not, our world and society is structured around this - it’s inevitable
• Admit these biases to yourself (and the fact that you have them)- it doesn’t make you a bad person, it just demonstrates how indoctrinated we are into gender bias, stereotypes etc
• Question your thoughts, question them again
• Ask yourself "is this respectful?"
• If you feel defensive, ask yourself why?
• Examine the effects that the patriarchy has had on you, how it has benefitted and hindered you
• Reframe ideas around privilege - it is not just about what you’ve been given, but also about what you have not been subjected to

Talk and listen to women

• Listen to women, hear them, seek their voices - make space for them at the table
• Talk to the women in your life about their perspective
• Listen to understand - not to respond

Champion women

• Make that referral, buy from that woman-owned business, send your favorite female-led podcast to a friend, celebrate her last career achievement on LinkedIn

Language

• Pay attention to your language, notice the different language used to describe women and men
• Look out for when your "gender-neutral language" is male-centred

Call out the behaviour

• Challenge your friends, your families, your co-workers, and your kid's words, actions, and thinking

Role model to kids

• Show dads doing traditionally female roles in the house and vice versa - mum takes out rubbish, dad does the washing
• Show young girls and boys examples of successful women - women in STEM, women CEOs, women entrepreneurs
• Seek out these role models

Don't be afraid to learn

• We're all learning - women included!
• Ask the questions, seek understanding, clarify if unsure 

As I wrote this post, I questioned - am I 'woman' enough to be talking about this? Is my experience valid? Am I valid if I've benefitted from certain aspects of the patriarchy? Should I be talking due to the privilege I hold in my other identities (white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied)?

The answer to all of these questions? YES! We all need to be talking about this- we are all a part of the problem, and we are all a part of the solution.

Your voice is valid.