As a women-owned business, I am eager to do what we can to promote women in business and support the women of the future through education, mentoring and networking. When I say eager, actually I am passionate about this. There are so many great opportunities to get involved and perhaps International Women's Day is a great place to start! The IWD 2015 theme is #Make it Happen.
On the 8th March 2015, International Women’s Day will be celebrated all over the world. It is a chance for women to inspire other women and to celebrate on this special day - http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ their global hub, encouraging effective action for advancing and recognition of women.
The first International Women's Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organisations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women's groups, corporations and the media celebrate this special day.
With organisations identifying their own International Women's Day theme, specific to their local context and interests. Many charities, NGOs and Governments also adopt a relevant theme or campaign to mark the day. For example, organisations like the UN, Oxfam, Women for Women, Care International, Plan, World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and more - run exciting and powerful campaigns that raise awareness and encourage donations for good causes. The UN has been declaring an annual equality theme for many years.
I was introduced a few years ago, through my network to a wonderful charity that supports education for girls, we are blessed to have a route to education but for many it is not an option - the Commonwealth Countries’ League Education Fund, is just one of many amazing charities - your organisation may wish to sponsor a girls education too?
As Stephen Covey said – “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”. Diversity in the business sector allows a company to grow within an ever-changing, fast-paced environment (Walter, Forbes). Diversity is critical for organization’s ability to innovate and adapt in a fast-changing environment. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs and most admired leaders will tell you the same thing. Diversity is essential to growth and prosperity of any company: diversity of perspectives, experiences, cultures, genders, and age. Why? Because diversity breeds innovation. And innovation breeds business success.Read more at - http://www.forbes.com/sites/ekaterinawalter/2014/01/14/reaping-the-benefits-of-diversity-for-modern-business-innovation/
The Charter of the United Nations, signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men. Since then, the UN has helped create a historic legacy of internationally agreed strategies, standards, programmes and goals to advance the status of women worldwide. Read more: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html
Many major organisations are supporting incredible life-changing programmes around the world, for example "Intel believes education is a fundamental right for everyone, and technology opens doors to opportunity". Find out more: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/technology-in-education/programs-for-women-and-girls.html
I also urge you to view "The Burt Report: Inclusive Support for Women in Enterprise" - prepared by Lorely Burt MP, Government Ambassador for Women in Enterprise. As a women-owned SME, I can not tell you how important it is to have the support of Government and great global corporations. I have an incredible network built over the last 3 years, sharing my support with them makes a huge difference to my business and personal confidence. Some of those corporations who fully support diversity include; Accenture, Intel, IBM, AT&T, Johnson Controls, Dell, Coca-Cola, Clifford Chance and many more. Sharing knowledge, offering mentoring, workshops and someone to call for advice and guidance. Thank you also to my mentor and friend - Shirley Cooper - who has connected and supported my business for many years.
The Sourcing Team - global sourcing & procurement specialised in promotional products - what makes us stand out is that we only buy from approved ethical factories, all our products are tested and certified as market compliant and we are ahead of the curve on helping our clients to think differently in terms of sustainability. It is an exciting but challenging market to be in and with 25 years in this space working with amazing global brands - you can see I clearly love it!
If you are keen to help your corporation, you might want to check out the work being done by WEConnect in supporting corporations meet their diversity goals: http://www.weconnecteurope.org/about-us
There are so many amazing activities going on for this International Women's Day - so, please if your organisation is not yet involved, I hope this have given you some inspiration and food for thought! Take the initiative and champion your organisation to help #Make it happen! http://www.internationalwomensday.com/