Happy International Women’s Day 2023!
Why is equity so important to a company? Why is it important to International Women’s Day? This year International Women’s Day is about embracing equity.
Equity has often been overlooked as an important factor to addressing societal challenges. With better understanding of the subtle ways it differs from equality, we can be more equipped to truly implement change in our workplaces and social environments.
The following internet meme has often been used to visually explain the difference:
Image source: Angus Maguire | Interaction Institute for Social Change
At ResourceBank we aim to practically implement our company values one of them being ‘fairness’.
“Fairness is one ResourceBank’s Star Values, fairness is intrinsic in how we operate as a business, both internally amongst our people and externally with our clients.
It’s about showing respect and acceptance and providing the tools and the support to ensure everyone gets fair opportunities and treatment, regardless of individual circumstances. It is the basis for all positive, successful relationships. At ResourceBank we are committed to operating in a fair manner, which is demonstrated through the work we are doing to make our workforce representative of our community and through our long-standing client partnerships” Stephanie Bamford – Head of People at ResourceBank
The topic of equity affects us in all spaces, be it at work and even at home. With the effort to highlight what equity means closer to home, Pete Murphy Client Partnership Director at ResourceBank shares the following:
“International Women’s Day is important. It’s important because for too long there’s been a lack of equality for women. I’m not one to point fingers, blame and look for reasons why, that’s the past, we need to focus on the present and the future. Why should we change it and what can we do? I’ll be honest, I just don’t get why there should be an imbalance, there are no valid excuses for it. Professionally, I’ve been lucky in my life to work alongside some fantastic women (I still do). They’ve brought as much passion, drive, enthusiasm, and positive contribution as any man I’ve worked with. That, on top of the fact that often they’ve also been managing the majority of family life outside of work makes this contribution even more impressive. But where it really hits home is on a personal level.
I’m lucky enough to be the Dad to a potential world changing 7-year-old daughter. I want her to grow up in a fair world, where she has as much opportunity to take on whatever it is that her destiny will bring. Whether she chooses to be a teacher, a lawyer, a doctor or the CEO of a FTSE 100 firm then I want those opportunities to exist for her without prejudice, in an equal and open-minded world. In a world where she’s judged solely on her ability and not on her gender. Despite my inability to understand the ‘whys’ when it comes to how we’re still living in a society that must face these problems, I know they do exist. So, giving some time and highlighting the issues is important. One of the key values at ResourceBank is fairness and one of the guidelines within that is that ‘We speak up if things are not right’ – so here I am speaking up about it. ”
We invite you to embrace equity as well in your homes and at work. Here are 7 things you can do as a company to create a more equitable workplace:
- Strive to create an equitable and inclusive workplace through training, policies, and practices that ensure everyone is respected and valued.
- Be intentional about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace by actively recruiting and encouraging cognitive diversity. Be deliberate about implementing policies and practices that promote an equitable and inclusive work environment.
- Ensure that employees have access to fair pay and compensation as well as career development opportunities regardless of race, gender, or other characteristics.
- Create safe and supportive workplaces that foster trust, respect, autonomy, and collaboration among employees.
- Promote flexible work options to enable employees to better balance their work and personal commitments.
- Prioritise mental health and wellness initiatives to support employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.
- Provide ongoing training and education opportunities to ensure that employees are up-to-date on the latest technologies, trends, and best practices.
Go on, give equality a big hug today, we will! We look forward to sipping our hot drinks during our lovely fortnightly company “coffee chat” where we will share stories about the wonderful women (and girls) that have inspired and make us strive to do and be better.
