International Women's Day: Be bold for change

Year 2016

As I entered the office building of an MNC to attend their women's day event, I saw the place streaming with pink and white balloons and women decked up in their silk fineries. I knew it was the International Women's Day, but why a party-like atmosphere?

Tangled in my thoughts, I approached the reception where I was handed a lovely rose, a chocolate and a card wishing me on my day. Along with it was a flyer of the agenda for the celebrations planned for the women employees. It was a day-long programme that included games, dances, ramp walks, make-up booths, talks on women's health, and much more.

As I waited for my host to come get me, I silently absorbed it all. Why this fanfare? What are we trying to convey to both women and the onlookers? That women's day is all about fun and frolic? Time away from work? Is this what women want and is this how the organization sees its women employees? Reinforcing the very image that we should be breaking away from? An image that women don't mean business?

At the end of the day, how does an event of this nature even contribute to the company's business? Is it helping retention or advancing women in leadership? Have the organization or women benefitted from these?

Ended up in meaty roles or gained anything anew because of participating in those? Have these events changed the organizational culture and made it more inclusive when all we see is our male colleagues shying away from these? When the senior leaders don't even turn up to acknowledge it?

Sure, I do want women to have fun and enjoy the pampering that they don't find time for, but perhaps on a family day or on an employee engagement day. It certainly doesn't warrant on an International Women's Day. One that happens to be a very significant day in the history of time and warrants a strategic focus and commitment to change the landscape of gender skew in our society.

On this day, I would rather we talk about how women, our leaders and organizations are taking the lead to change the game. How they are being the architects and advocates of change within the four walls and beyond. I would happily trade the 'fun-filled' day for the following agenda:

 

• Have senior leaders kick-off the event and talk about its relevance to the business.
• Discuss women's dual-career (parenting and professional) challenges and how the organization is working towards mitigating those. How it is breaking away from stereotypes and biases and becoming inclusive across all walks of organizational behaviour. Show the progress scorecard and announce the launch of some new practices or programs.
• Recognise those leaders and employees who have pushed the organisational boundaries and created gender inclusivity.
• For active interactions, curate panels with aspiring women and men leaders, instead of the usual handful of senior women gracing the podium always and talking about the predictable subjects that the audience have heard several times before. All companies are talking about disruption, and the new ways of work, etc.; why not be bold in this space as well?
• Have men talk about how they are committed to erasing the disparity and are being intentionally inclusive in their respective teams. Highlight concrete examples of the same.
• Especially spotlight men who have working spouse and daughters. They are likely to be the ones who 'get it' and serve as role models for other men. Research substantiates this. Nothing is a bigger put off than having senior men who haven't encountered the challenges of dual working couples, talk about the issues surrounding women leadership.
• Emphasise what else women and the eco-system need to do to enable a sustainable change. The five strategies in the book Step Up make an apt dialogue for women and others to embrace.
• Wrap-up the day with a networking forum for women to mingle with the senior leadership.
• Such a day is about commitment, transparency, and action. While these ideas may be serious business for some, surely a right balance can be struck to appeal the various audience.

Pledge to make this International Women's Day different and more meaningful for all concerned. Align yourself to the 2017 theme of "Be bold for change."

(The writer is the author of the book Step Up, published by Penguin Random House. She has a doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and has many international publications to her credit.)