With International Women's Day approaching on 8 March, it is timely that I recently had an encounter that reinforced why we have been marking and celebrating this date for the past 101 years.
I met a woman recently who I'll call Rose. Rose is a well educated woman, a mother and wears many other hats including active community member, netball fanatic, daughter and sister, supporter of a varied and wide network of friends.
With young children, Rose gave up her career after the birth of her first child and has just returned to part time work as well as returning in a volunteer capacity to several community groups, where she loves donating her time and sharing her skills.
Rose's husband therefore is the major breadwinner, working long hours during the week and often throughout the weekend. He's very supportive of Rose and on the whole they share a loving relationship and enjoy a close, tight knit family and circle of friends.
As well as working part time, Rose manages all the family finances, cooks all the meals, does all the housework, organises all the school related stuff (play dates, excursions, homework, taxi-ing to and from sports) and generally holds everything together.
When I met her recently, Rose was exhausted. She craved a break from the endless work of running a house and family alongside her part time and volunteer work and felt guilty about wanting to return to full time work in her chosen field of expertise. With her husband as the household's major earer, Rose felt she had no choice, no power, no right to want to re-divide the domestic chores and family responsibilities. Easier to maintain the status quo, at this point Rose intends to keep battling on until the children are old enough to require less hands on supervision from her.
We all know someone like Rose. Some of us are Rose. And Rose perfectly embodies the current state of play in the workplace today.
The majority of women these days emerge from higher education with positive career aspirations, a belief they are equal in the workplace and a desire to have it all - family, career, well balanced life and a happy ending. Its like the Cinderella story, only we have a fulfilling career as well as a fabulous princely husband and a castle.
Then we hear that whilst it is possible to have it all a la Cinderella, just not all at the same time. And this is where the dream fades.
Lack of access to affordable child care. Or any child care, if your child is under the age of 2. Including a short supply of quality nannies.
The fear of being left behind in your career as your male peers and childless female peers continue on their succession paths whilst you take the necessary time out to have children.
The manic balancing act of working hard, raising a young family and leading a quality lifestyle.
As those who stay on their career succession paths climb higher, we start to see more and more women opt out and start their own businesses, or decide the personal sacrifice just isn't worth it and remain at the highest level they feel they are able to retain life balance at. I've heard it time and time again - "I was on the corporate turntable and when I jumped off I realised I could have everything I wanted on my own terms, by running my own business. I've never felt more empowered"
International Women's Day is about celebrating not just the advancements of women in achieving gender equity, but how we as a society have advanced in ensuring women and men are equal in every aspect. Pay. Promotion. A workplace free of violence, harrassment and descrimination. Education opportunities.
The mass exodus of women from corporate life points to a stalling in progress. And the statistics support this. Women on Boards. Women in line management roles. Women in operational roles. Women in politics and other leadership roles. Women in every single industry in Australia are rare species in the upper echelons.
If you're not convinced, ask yourself:
* If men were able to have babies & become primary care givers, would they choose to? If so, would this change the levels of available, accessible child care in this country?
* What if more men chose part time work? Would this encourage a fairer division of labour between men and women at home?
* What would happen if women start having less many babies, or none at all, due to the economic disadvantages that follows? Would this be so catastrophic as to force social change?
There is of course no easy answer and no one-size-fits-all solution. Far from discouraging women to exit corporate life and follow their entrepreneurial spirit, I embrace it - I have done it myself! The point is this: women and men must enjoy as their basic right true equity in the workplace. When we achieve that, there will still be women and men choosing the private SME or home based option over corporate professional life, the difference is that the choice will not be one based primarily on a lack of options in the traditional workplace.
Finally, we need to continue to hold up to the light those women and men who have broken through the traditional barriers, overcome gender based obstacles and challenged the status quo to become our role models, to encourage and support our belief that we have come a long way and we are getting closer to gender equity in this country.
Some of Events Hunter's favourites:
* Anita Roddick - founder of The Body Shop, creater of the idea of "business as unusual", a woman who raised a family whilst following her challenging the big guns of the cosmetics industry and opening our eyes to Fair Trade, Against Animal Testing and the power of engaging employees in meaningful work
* Sir Richard Branson - founder of Virgin Records and challenger of institutional status quos
* Gail Kelly - CEO of Westpac, leader of corporate industry who has put her reputation on the line in setting targets for having women in key management roles at Westpac.
* Liz Broderick - Sex Discrimination Commissioner, a powerhouse woman 100% dedicated to creating a social change to make our world a more equitable place
* Ita Buttrose - we all know her as "Ita", successful media business woman, famous for breaking through the barriers of every major media company in the country before going out on her own.
In the coming weeks, countless events will be held to support and promote International Women's Day. Its a day to stop and consider the experiences of women like Rose, to celebrate the work and progress of women like Gail Kelly and Liz Broderick, and to pause for just a moment and consider your role in effecting social change in your workplace, your region and your country.
It all starts and ends with you, and the more people who believe that, the more rapid the pace of change.
Some easy ways to make a difference:
* Read an article or book on gender equity past, present or future
* Check out www.unwomen.org.au for statistics, information and how you can support gender equity
* Offer to mentor your boss or colleagues on what gender equity actually means in the workplace
* Take one of your younger peers (or, even better, a male and female) to an International Women's Day event or a networking event where they'll get exposure to the issues and the debate
* Ask the females at the lowest level of your organisation or team what they'd like to see done differently in the workplace.
* Be grateful for the opportunities women and girls do enjoy in this country, particularly equal access to health and education. Then make a donation to an organisation that helps women and girls in countries where this is still but a dream, such as Opportunity International.
For International Women's Day events being held in the Hunter, head to www.eventshunter.com.au
Happy IWD 2012 everyone.
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