INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAYEMBRACE EQUITY

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, I’ve been thinking a lot about what this day means, why it is celebrated and how to inspire others to get involved.

So firstly, what is this day on March 8 about?

International Women’s day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It’s a day where we imagine a gender equal world. Free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.

The theme changes each year and in 2023 it’s Embrace Equity.

Why is Equity so important?

We’re not all created equal, so to call for equal opportunities is only part of the story. Equity means women can access the workplace on equal footing to men but aren’t expected to operate exactly the same way as men. Adjustments need to be made, and the needs of women must be considered in order to create and support those equal opportunities.

Embracing equity means embracing a commitment to think differently about women in the community and how opportunities to access the world of work, education and community can be nurtured, encouraged and supported.

What does Equity look like?

• Pay transparency – new laws in Australia allow workers to share their pay and conditions with colleagues meaning its easier to understand whether for instance you’re being paid less than a male for the same job

• Learning about Bias – conscious or unconscious, bias leads to women being passed over for jobs and promotions. Often referred to simply as “recruiting in your own image” bias is what stops us from genuinely evaluating people for roles and promotions based on their skills, experience, motivation and other factors that aren’t discriminatory such as gender, age, educational background and race.

• Creating a safe environment – workplaces, educational settings and communities that have leaders who have a no tolerance position on bullying and harassment are naturally going to be more equitable and accessible for women. This means positive and proactive role modelling, calling out behaviours that exclude, telling inappropriate jokes, excessive touching or inappropriate body language or other behaviour that makes women feel uncomfortable, isolated or discriminated.

• Offer development and training opportunities – targeted professional development including training, mentoring and secondments provide valuable tools, networks and experience for women to make the leap into leadership roles, break the male line of succession and contribute to an overall more diverse and innovative workplace.

Haven’t we solved this problem already?

I’ve seen a lot of positive progress in this space the past 10 years. I’d say people – men and women – are generally more aware of gender inequity, particularly gender based family violence, and are generally becoming more comfortable calling out discrimination and getting educated on how to create and sustain an inclusive, safe place to work.

In the pest management industry specifically, I’ve see an genuine openness and acceptance of women in all facets of business. Women as operators and technicians, admin and management have been welcomed with open arms and the various initiatives to support these women have been very well supported by industry players.

However, pest management remains an industry dominated by men, as are many trades and services occupation.

The women I speak to who are in pest management invariably say it was something they fell into, either due to family networks or when looking for a complete career change.

The vast majority of women I speak to LOVE the pest management industry with passion, particularly for how they can serve their customers and bring them peace of mind.

If we’ve still got a way to go, what can we do to make change happen?

I don’t profess to have all the answers!

But as I sit here pondering as another International Women Day looms ahead of us, here are some of the ideas I have bubbling away.

• Promote a career in pest management using your own story and experience – if you have a platform in your community or on social media, use it to share how fulfilling a career in this industry can be and inspire others to get curious about it!

• Join a network – there are several pest industry specific groups for women, such as WIPM of course, that are all about supporting, educating and promoting women in pest. There are also broader national business networks such as Business Chicks that provide valuable opportunities to network, grow and learn as well as promoting your business

• Mentor others – whether its men or women, being a role model that generously passes on valuable knowledge and experience lifts the industry as a whole and encourages people to do the same for others

• Cultivate kindness – kindness and compassion are underutilised superpowers in work and community and tend to come more naturally to women. The more kindness we put out into the world, the kinder workplaces will become and the less we’ll see of discriminatory, closed minded behaviour!

• Catch people doing the right thing – when men support you, call out others on their behaviour or lift you up, say thank you! Its not always easy to be the lone guy actively supporting and encouraging women. When that’s noticed and appreciated, we’ll see more of it and other men will surely follow.

• Commit to becoming an employer of choice – if you’re a business owner and you become known for offering a safe, flexible, diverse workplace that values its employees you’re not only a role model and ahead of the trend, but your business will also be more sustainable and successful as a result.

If you’d like to talk to me further about these, or share your own, feel free to get in touch at insurance@ rapidsolutions.com.au!

BELINDA SMITH CEO, Rapid Solutions

Experienced leader and executive with a diverse industry sector background. Skilled in business growth, strategic planning and implementation and culture building. Focussed on providing customers with peace of mind and tailoring service offerings to meet market needs. Passionate about ending family violence because everyone deserves to live safely in their own home, workplace and community.