International Women’s Day (IWD) – an annual March 8th celebration – honors women’s social, economic, and cultural achievements worldwide. The day came to be from a continuous global effort that dates back to the early 20th century. From advocating for working women’s rights in 1908 New York City to storming the streets in 1917 Russia demanding the right to vote, various socialist movements sparked a desire to celebrate women’s liberation annually. It is a day meant to inspire hope, raise awareness, and incite action for gender equality.
This year’s IWD theme for 2021 is Choose to Challenge. The day’s organizers shared their thoughts: “Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.” People are encouraged to spread awareness of this year’s theme by participating on social media by raising a hand and using the hashtag #ChoosetoChallenge.
Here at Consilio, we accept the challenge not just today but every day. We believe a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and ideas helps every employee feel valued, trusted, and empowered to serve our clients better. A culture of inclusion fosters our employees’ professional and personal growth and enables us to cultivate their diverse strengths. We continue to reflect this sentiment through our Diversity & Inclusion commitment and our other initiatives, such as our Women in Technology blog series.
Last year, we celebrated International Women’s Day by interviewing several of our employees on what the day means to them, how they feel valued in their role, and what advice they may offer young women entering today’s workforce. This year we have continued that effort and have included their responses below:
