Today is International Women’s Day (IWD), an annual event to celebrate women’s rights and inspire people to continue to push for gender equality. This event, sanctioned by the United Nations, is a chance to address gender bias and take meaningful action to create a more inclusive and gender-equal world.
March is also Women’s History Month, making this an ideal time to reflect on the vital contributions of women throughout the ages. Whether your team chooses to support women-owned businesses, contribute to charities benefitting women or get involved in some other way, this is your chance to celebrate the women on your sales team and in your organization.
Susmita Sarma, a podcast host and content creator at Vantage Circle, has outlined some inspiring ideas to commemorate women. We share Sarma’s ideas in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.
1. Pile on the purple. Sarma notes that purple is the international color for uplifting women, signifying justice and dignity. You can set the stage for celebrating women all month long by encouraging your staff to wear purple.
2. Show your appreciation. Use this month to show the women on your team how much you value their hard work and contributions. Write a personal note thanking your female reps for everything they do and consider giving them a gift card to an upscale restaurant or shop. For increased employee engagement, be sure you are offering desirable perks and benefits, adds Sarma.
3. Plan a (virtual) ladies’ night. For a fun way to bring together all the women on your team, consider an evening of stand-up comedy from a favorite female comedian. You could also host a virtual watch party of a movie with strong female characters.
4. Introduce family-friendly work-life balance policies. If your company could do a better job supporting working moms, now is the time to put some new policies in place. Could you work to get moms a more compassionate maternity leave or give them a more flexible schedule? Look for ways to give the working moms on your team some balance.
5. Commit to empowering women. In honor of Women’s History Month, think about how your organization could launch a women’s empowerment program or get involved with groups that support women. Sarma recommends asking your female employees which organizations mean the most to them.
6. Give social media shout-outs. Use this month to publicly applaud the exceptional women on your team and in your industry. Sarma says you could interview women on your team about how they got into their roles and share some of their favorite inspiring quotes.
7. Re-examine your compensation. If you want to get serious about gender equality in the workplace, conduct a salary audit of women and men in the same or similar roles. Now is the time to make sure the women on your team are paid fairly for their work and that they have equal opportunities for advancement.
On this day, think about how you can lift up the women on your team all month and throughout the year. While some fun recognition is a nice gesture, take a good look at how your company could empower female employees. Whether it’s providing more flexibility or leveling up on pay, when you better support women at work, your entire organization wins.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s PCT, where we highlight tips for making your workplace more equitable for female job candidates and employees.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Susmita Sarma is a podcast host and content creator at Vantage Circle.
