International Women’s Day: Be Bold
March 8th marks International Women’s Day with the theme being #BreaktheBias. We are all responsible for our thoughts and actions, and consciously and collectively we can break the bias in our communities, workplaces, schools, colleges, and universities, calling out gender bias whenever we see it. Equally, United Nations held “gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” as their theme and so used the day as a valuable time to celebrate the women in our lives and around the world and to recognise the inequalities women are still facing today. The main objective is to bring about thought-provoking conversations and make use of the available resources to learn more. With this, we can implement that knowledge and new understanding into our daily lives.
We hosted a lunch in one of our London offices and shared women who inspire us from around the world and within Flock. Helen Cain, Client Account Manager; Katie Elsey, Consultant; Aysha Haynes, Operations Director and Halima Kalim, Project Manager were among the list of great women at Flock recognised for their determination, approach to work and individual qualities that bring balance and keep our work ecosystem thriving. The team also shared their admiration for women like Candice Brathwaite, Angela Merkel, Anna Kessel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Juliana Huxtable; from the amazing work they have produced, the hardships they have overcome, and the societal norms they continue to challenge. They have chosen to be bold and fearless and inadvertently clear the way for other women like them to follow. These women truly inspire our Flockers and it’s reflected in our approach to our work daily and interactions with each other.
Using our voices to speak up was a topic that consistently came up in our discussions. We know how hard it can be to find your voice and possess the courage to be heard, especially in a work environment and industry that may stifle and overlook women’s voices and contributions. Challenging others and standing up for yourself is hard but we encourage it, especially as we are actively working to unlearn certain behaviours that have been instilled in us by society from birth. At Flock we believe that those who speak up will help others reflect and change their behaviour, creating a better working environment for all.
We have celebrated International Women’s Day for nine years at the flock and each year are surrounded by more amazing women. Let’s continue to celebrate Women’s History Month, championing women worldwide and learning more about those that fought to have the rights we have now and bringing the movement to where it is. Below are some resources that you may find useful for the rest of the month: