That’s the theme of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2022 celebrated today, March 8. It is one to remember not just today but every day. Two weeks ago, as Black History Month came to an end, I wrote a
post titled “2022 of the 1950s?” about systemic racism. March is Women’s History Month and when I see the assault on women’s rights in many states, I could ask that same question again.
While women have made great progress since I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, coming of age during the women’s movement shaped me both personally and professionally. I remember when International Women’s Day was something most people knew nothing about. Now it is more prominently highlighted in the media. You may have seen some “strike the pose” posts on social media in recent days and wondered what that was about. But International Women’s Day is not just a celebration of women, it is a focus on the historical and current struggles of women for true equality and a call to all of us to forge a gender equal world.
Themes in recent years have been:
#ChooseToChallenge – reminding us that we are responsible for our own thoughts and actions and that we can all choose to call out gender bias and inequality.
#EachforEqual – emphasizing the need to bring together people of all gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, and country to embrace the values and actions needed to create a gender equal world.
What does this year’s theme #BreakTheBias focus on? From the IWD website:
“Imagine a gender equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Together we can forge women’s equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.”
What can you do? As individuals, call out gender bias when you see it. Be aware of your own unconscious biases. And as leaders, ensure your organizations’ policies and practices support gender equality.
I applaud the CHIME Diversity and Inclusion committee which I am a member of for their continued work to raise awareness amongst CHIME and CHIME Foundation members and AEHIS, AEHIA and AEHIT members. The newest offering, “DEI Dialogues”, kicked off in February with a focus on Black History Month. These DEI Dialogues are virtual conversations around identity, belonging, equity and inclusion with a different lens of focus each month. The focus for March is Women’s History Month. The conversation will be co-facilitated by CHIME staff & DEI Committee members Jen Johnson, National Business Development Manager, Healthcare at Connection; Polly Israni, Global Marketing Lead, Healthcare and Life Sciences, at Google Cloud; and Nithya Narasimhan, SVP Client Relationships at Cerner. For more information on CHIME Diversity and Inclusion and to register for the March DEI Dialogues, click here.
What are you doing to #BreaktheBias today and every day?
Related Posts:
International Women’s Day all year long