8 ways to #EmbraceEquity this International Women's Day

As a whole, International Women's Day (IWD) is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Treated as a day to raise awareness about the hard-won victories of women's movements, the historical and ongoing struggle for gender equality, as well as a day to promote action that helps women overcome gendered barriers in their many forms, IWD is worthy of observation/celebration in whatever form you deem fitting!

This just in: 2023’s IWD theme is #EmbraceEquity.

What exactly is gender equity?

Often used interchangeably with the term “gender equality,” “gender equity” in fact has a different meaning. The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign is actually geared at sparking important conversations about why “equal opportunities” are not enough—and can in fact be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.

While gender equality refers to the equal treatment of individuals regardless of gender, gender equity recognizes the important differences that exist between different genders, and acknowledges  that certain groups—such as women and non-binary individuals—have faced historical discrimination, and face ongoing discrimination. As such, “equality” in the traditional sense (i.e. identical treatment for all) fails to create a level playing field for all. Instead, these groups require support and accommodations specifically catered to their unique needs—only then might they achieve anything like true equality. In other words, equity may involve offering more and/or different supports to women and other vulnerable groups.

Gender equity, then—most often used in a workplace context—means allocating resources, programs, and decision making power fairly to all genders without bias or discrimination on the basis of gender. And it also means addressing any gendered imbalances with regard to benefits, opportunities, or resources in the process. The ongoing battle for true pay equity is a high profile example of the gender equity plight in workplaces: as of 2022, the average woman still makes 82 cents for every $1 a man does.

How to embrace equity in 2023

This International Women's Day, consider embracing equity in any of the following 8 ways:

1. Celebrate the women you work with.

Celebrating amazing, badass women is always a fantastic way to focus your IWD energies. But while there are always famous women whose victories you might highlight, chances are you work side by side with impressive women in the day-to-day who would really benefit from a little acknowledgement—nay, celebration! Truth: most of us are so wrapped up in our work that wins easily get buried, so why not take IWD as an opportunity to honor your woman colleagues and their many wins?

2. Reflect on the support offered to women in your workplace.

IWD is the perfect moment to take stock and reevaluate the initiatives, support, and overall resources you offer to your female colleagues/employees. Think mentorship programs, a decent parental leave policy, access to free menstrual products, menstrual leave, menopause leave, or free/affordable/onsite childcare services—to name just a few. These and other initiatives and policies could make a world of difference in so many people’s lives, so if your workplace is lacking in this department and you’re not personally in a position to change it, consider rallying your team to ask for more.

3. Wear purple, and strike a pose.

Purple is the official International Women’s Day color, so you might ease into the right mindset by encouraging your colleagues to wear purple for the day and/or put up purple decorations around the office, if applicable. And, since IWD organizers are encouraging workplaces to post team photos of staff striking this year’s official pose (a self-embrace to show solidarity with those fighting equity battles), you might take it one further by sharing photos, videos, resources, presentations, articles, or music (all of it purple!) using the hashtags #IWD2023 and #EmbraceEquity.

4. Support more women-owned businesses.

The majority of the those living in poverty around the world are women and girls. If you own or run a business, IWD is the perfect opportunity to review your supply chain to see if you can tweak things just so—so you can support more female-owned businesses, that is. Not only is this a fantastic way of paying it forward, but it also makes good business sense! Plus, it will 100% improve your Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) strategy. And even if you don’t own a business, it’s always worth checking if there’s an equitable, woman-owned version of whatever it is you’re looking to buy, baby.

5. Make giving back part of your company culture.

It is becoming more and more commonplace for employers to grant their employees volunteer time off (VTO)—that is, a couple of paid days off each year to do volunteer work. Not only is it great for mitigating burnout and bolstering morale, but volunteering can be invaluable in promoting overall wellbeing, boosting self-esteem, and deepening social connections—all while helping a worthwhile organization. In honor of IWD, you might choose the women's org of your choice (perhaps in consult with your staff). If you’re not the boss, introducing VTO may be a worthwhile topic for a work meeting.

6. Encourage people to report discrimination

This is a big one, as it goes deeper than sharing posts on social or even voicing support for better workplace policies. The fact is, people who feel safe and happy at work are more productive and more loyal to boot, so always remember that what’s a good for your people is also good for your business! Summon the genuine energy necessary to encourage employees/coworkers to report discrimination when they see or experience it. If you are in a position of power or influence within your organization, go one further by taking steps to ensure that the processes in place for fielding reports of this nature are not discriminatory or otherwise problematic in and of themselves—it may be necessary to address unconscious biases in existing policy.

7. Remind employees of all genders to think about allyship

The fight for gender equity should never be limited to or focused solely on women, full stop. For meaningful change to occur, it’s crucial that men, and indeed, people of all genders, act as allies. This could look like initiating a conversation about different ways men in the workplace might support women or women-identifying colleagues, or a training on how to better identify gender discrimination in the workplace, including in one’s own unconscious biases.

8. Acknowledge unpaid care work

It's hardly news that women typically bear the burden of childcare, eldercare, and caring for their partners’ needs to boot—often on top of working to earn a living. Unsurprisingly, this can quickly lead to significant burnout on physical, mental, emotional, and financial levels, as well as negatively impact women's opportunities for education, well paid/full-time employment (along with opportunities for career advancement), and overall enjoyment of life. Working all the time with little time for oneself and little money to show for it can be extremely demoralizing. Acknowledge these injustices when you see them, in or outside of your workplace, and do what you can to voice support for campaigns like #CareIncomeNow.

By taking some or all of the above-listed actions, it may just be possible to help create a more equitable world for women and people of all genders. Here’s a little inspiration for the road.

Happy IWD 2023 everyone—embrace yo’self!