Since 1987, the month of March has been designated as Women’s History Month to celebrate the vital role women have played throughout history and to observe their contributions as we move into the future. Currently, women make up 41% of the supply chain workforce and only an estimated 33% of tech employees are women.
The global theme for International Women’s Day 2022 was “Break the Bias”, a movement working toward gender equality and a world free of bias, discrimination and stereotypes. project44 hosted an International Women’s Day panel to hear from six women of project44 from a variety of departments in offices across the globe.
When asked how they have experienced bias and how it made them feel, answers included situations both in and out of the workplace. From hosting business dinners and male colleagues reaching out for the check to being overlooked for a promotion when preparing for maternity leave, implicit and explicit bias has been felt by all women. Panelists in talent acquisition mentioned that women are less likely to negotiate and in interviews, women candidates can be labeled aggressive while male candidates displaying the same behaviors are viewed positively.
Panelists were also asked what men could do in the workplace to be good allies for their women colleagues. Some answers included:
- “Create an inclusive environment where women and others feel they can speak up. Be observant in meetings to make sure everyone has the opportunity to speak.” – Jenny Bebout, VP Product, Last Mile
- “Something I’ve noticed that I would love to change is in a meeting, people will say ‘guys’ to refer to the whole group. It’s a small thing but I think we really need to do away with gendered language and it’s really easy to switch over to ‘team’ or ‘folks’ because I think that, for me personally, when there’s a large group of people and someone says ‘guys’ I feel excluded or called out. That’s a very small, easy thing to do for everyone.” – Ann Dvoretsky, Senior Director, Engineering
- “Remembering and being mindful of microaggressions that happen all the time that are usually not intentional at all. Like interrupting or rephrasing something that’s already been said so it comes across as your own idea. When those things come out, calling them out or recognizing them in yourself.” – Amanda, VP Talent Acquisition, International
project44 is committed to championing women and working to build an inclusive and diverse team in all offices across the globe. We launched our Women’s Development Program last fall with the goal of empowering women and building a strong work community. Check out our careers page to find your next role and join us on the journey.
