The month of March went by quite fast! We’ve had conversations, talks, events, conferences etc. We created impact and called for action. We talked about equity and how it is an important step towards equality. However, equity should not end with the month of March? How can we ensure that beyond Women’s Month, we continue to embrace equity? Here are a few things we can do throughout the year
- Practice equity at home: The popular saying rightly says: ‘Charity begins at home’. Equity begins at the family level. Practicing equity at home means ensuring that you listen to girls and young women at home and ensure that they are empowered enough to achieve similar outcomes with their male counterparts.
- Examine your biases: Have you ever thought: ‘She’s a woman, so she isn’t capable of this or that’? If yes, then you’re like most people who have internalized one gender bias or the other. Embracing equity will require you to challenge these beliefs and learn to treat everyone on the basis of their own circumstances and merits, rather than based on personal beliefs.
- Purposely seek out other women to mentor: Be open to accepting and working with female mentees; help them to achieve personal and professional goals.
- Sponsor a female colleague: Women need sponsors to grow in their careers and businesses. A sponsor not only advises and supports you, he/she also advocates for and speaks for you in meetings and forums where decisions are being made. Embracing equity will mean taking up the responsibility of being this sponsor for at least one woman.
It truly has been a great women’s month! Click here to check out all the great things AXA Mansard does for and with women.
