Happy International Women’s Day 2019.
Today’s celebration is using the hashtag #balanceforbetter to promote gender balance in business.
It’s a campaign for the gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth, gender-balanced sports coverage.
I do realise that for a long time women have been, and in many ways, particularly in certain cultures, still are, very much seen as second class citizens – both in and out of work.
And I too have experienced some form of bias in the office, so I do understand the meaning behind the campaign is a good one and there is actually some work left to do.
However, I’m also of the opinion that to achieve true balance, maybe we should stop conjuring up global celebrations that divide the planetary population by its genitalia.
So while the protesters protest, the campaigners campaign and the social media lovers get their hashtag on – I’m choosing to ignore my chromosomes and just get to work.
Don’t Talk, Do
One of my pet hates has always been somebody who talks about who they want to be, and what they want to do but does absolutely zero to get themselves to that point.
I want to be a thought leader. I want to run businesses. And I want to do good.
So that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Within the last couple of weeks for Consciously Curated, I’ve registered with Companies House, set up a business bank account, drawn up contracts, price lists and invoices. I’ve cold emailed, had phone calls and got to work with a very nice, hand-picked portfolio of clients from places as far and near as California, Brisbane, London and Paris.
And as for Mindless Mag, it’s going from strength to strength.
We have brands knocking down our door to collaborate with us, we’re doing a trial project with a technology school that could turn into a long term partnership and we’ve been asked to give a talk at Liver A Better Life – Liverpool’s largest annual vegan fair in St George’s Hall, in an auditorium that seats 150 people.
Things are happening.
Women That Wow
For me the power behind everything International Women’s Day hopes to achieve is less about balancing a divide and more about action.
And when I attended an event at Liverpool Women’s Business Organisation earlier today I was so happy to hear the same from their guest speakers, Sue Grindrod and Marnie Millard.
Sue is the Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, responsible for the strategic development and management of this iconic waterfront destination and is leading its next phase of evolution.
Marnie is Group Chief Executive for Nichols PLC, a non-executive Director for Finsbury Foods and the Chair for the North West Region of the CBI. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to International Trade and Businesses in North West England.
Because the event was celebrating International Women’s Day, of course the conversation was steered in the direction of women at work and the obstacles and challenges they’ve faced.
But what I loved most was that their responses were just about working hard, following your instinct, being brave and caring about people. That attitude is exactly what gets women through that glass ceiling.
The seminar was intense and lively with a nice sprinkling of Scouseness and I left feeling energised.
I was surrounded by inspirational, go-getters – by Women That Wow.