International Women's Day: March 8

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women and to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality. However, as well-intentioned as some celebrations may be, there are many things that organizations and individuals should avoid doing in order to truly promote equality and respect for women.

One of the most common mistakes is giving public visibility to women without their consent. For example, companies may want to spotlight the efforts of their female employees on social media, but it is important to ensure that these women have meaningful ways to offer feedback and approve any material beforehand. Remember, employees' social media profiles are private, including LinkedIn, and it is never appropriate to tag someone without their permission.

Another pitfall to avoid is adding to women's already heavy workloads. On International Women's Day, women are often asked to do extra work, such as putting together an event or giving a talk, without receiving any compensation for their efforts. Similarly, external experts or activists may be invited to speak, but only for "exposure," without receiving any payment for their time and expertise.

Another issue to watch out for is putting women in a box and assuming that all women have had the same experiences simply because of their gender. This ignores the many other identities that intersect with gender, such as sexual orientation, disability status, age, religion, race, or ethnicity. When celebrating International Women's Day, it is crucial to ensure that all women are included and that no group is excluded from the celebration.

Additionally, it is important not to share empty messages without any key performance indicators (KPIs). Every year, slogans about women circulate on social media, but it is important to go beyond just repeating the year's theme and to actually take meaningful action. Instead of just saying "We celebrate our female workforce" or "Women are so talented," companies should share their action plans, targets, and KPIs that demonstrate what they are doing to close gender gaps.

Finally, it is important not to focus solely on headquarters and neglect the diversity of the workplace. While it may seem like workplaces are primarily made up of office-based employees, there are many women working in a variety of settings, such as factories, construction sites, farms, labs, or behind the wheel of vehicles. It is crucial to ensure that International Women's Day efforts benefit women across all operations, not just those based in headquarters.

So what should organizations and individuals do instead? To truly make a positive impact on International Women's Day, it is important to report back on past commitments and to check in with communications and social media teams to ensure that gender equality is a constant theme throughout the year. Additionally, leveraging men as allies can be a powerful tool for promoting gender equality, as long as they are not made into "champions" or poster children for the cause. Asking women what they want and incorporating their feedback into action plans can also be a valuable way to promote equality, as long as it does not add an extra burden to their already heavy workloads.

In conclusion, International Women's Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women and to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality. However, it is important to avoid shallow or stereotypical gifts, as well as giving public visibility to women without their consent, adding to their workloads, putting women in a box, sharing empty messages, or focusing solely on headquarters. Instead, organizations and individuals should report back on past commitments, check in with communications and social media teams, leverage men as allies, ask women what they want, and buy from women-owned businesses. By avoiding these pitfalls and taking meaningful action, we can work towards a more equitable and respectful world for all women.