won’t you celebrate with me

what I have shaped into

a kind of life? I had no model.

born in Babylon

both nonwhite and woman

what did I see to be except myself?

I made it up

here on this bridge between

starshine and clay,

my one hand holding tight

my other hand; come celebrate

with me that every day

something has tried to kill me

and has failed.

 

“Come Celebrate With Me” – By Lucille Clifton

Happy February!

Happy International Women’s Week!

This week we celebrate women throughout history, those who have paved the way for progression with pride, and women in this day, leading us towards a bright future.

An increase in the female-to-male ratio in the workforce nationwide by 5% will bring in an additional $25 billion for the Australian economy annually according to current research.

As more women are contributing to the economy, the required skills of the workforce may also evolve with the women in today’s society.

Because women are joining companies and businesses all around Australia, wages around Australia are rising, as labour participation has been caused by an increase in demand.

Here are four snapshots of where we are today.

1. Better gender equality creates a highly sought-after workplace.

Businesses with great gender equality are more in demand and end up bringing in better-qualified staff.

A perceived lack of equality puts that company at risk of missing out on a lot of talent, motivation and business drive that women bring with them to work every day.

2. More women = an educated workforce.

Forbes research has suggested women are 57% more likely to be tertiary qualified and more likely to bring a higher level of formal education than male counterparts.

Beyond skills and talent, different perspectives come along with that diversity — and although it’s not just about a woman’s perspective, views sourced from the various cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds from which females come can be valuable for decision-making in a business.

3. We’re currently missing a step…

There’s a broken “rung” on the ladder for women. According to insights from McKinsey & Co, more women are making their way to the top of the leadership ladder, with growing opportunities for CEO & Executive positions.

However, they have found damning evidence that the hardest step for women to forge that pathway is the first step of moving into a management position.

“The biggest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership is at the first step up to manager”, they say.

“For every 100 men promoted and hired to Manager, only 72 women are promoted and hired. This broken rung results in more women getting stuck at the entry-level, and fewer women becoming managers.”

4. We still have a long way to go with bridging the leadership gender gap.

According to recent statistics published by The Australian Bureau of Statistics – “women hold 13.7% of chair positions and 25.8% of directorships, and represent 17.1% of CEOs and 30.5% of key management personnel”.

The Australian Institute of Company Directors, however, painted a brighter picture, revealing that women comprised of 45.4% of new appointments to the ASX 200 boards in 2018.

Happy International Women’s Day.

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