Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias. ~ International Women’s Day
The theme for International Women’s Day in 2022 is #BreakTheBias and for what seems like a millennium now, the issue of gender bias or gender equality has been at society’s forefront.
One thing that hasn’t changed is that women have fought. Where once it was bra burning and marching in the streets for the right to be educated now it is the fight to have equal standing and opportunity in the workplace and the home.
Many women have stopped fighting outwardly but the inward fight to justify and prove our worth continues and it is just as rampant as ever.
Questions we could ask ourselves to break the bias internally might be:
- Do we really care for ourselves, or do we put everyone else’s needs before us?
- How often do we give ourselves a stop in the day to actually check in and see how we’re doing?
- When we exercise or do another ‘wellbeing activity’ is it an outlet to de-stress or tick a box, or are we really enjoying and appreciating ourselves for looking after our body?
- When it comes to doing the lion’s share of the housework, do we give our partners, children, or housemates the opportunity or are we identified with being the ‘super woman’?
Questions we could ask ourselves to break the bias in the workplace might be:
- Do we speak up in situations when we see something needs addressing? Or do we turn a blind eye and instead talk about it behind closed doors with colleagues?
- Are we pushing ourselves or getting caught up in the overwhelm of what can seem like an endless list of tasks?
- Are we able to recognise when we need to stop, and do we listen when that voice comes in?
- Are we championing other women at work to be all that they can? This includes women in leadership positions who tend to get more criticism than their male counterparts.
True gender equality, and breaking the bias, starts with ourselves. In our own homes and workplaces. It begins with how we treat ourselves as women and how we then interact with everyone, in every situation in life.
And so the question beckons…
On this International Women’s Day and until the next, what can we do to contribute to breaking the bias?
We can start to really care for ourselves, truly and deeply so, and in every aspect of our lives. From home, to work and every in between moment.
When we put an end to the bias we hold ourselves in (i.e. putting ourselves down or constantly pushing ourselves to prove our worth and gain acceptance) we naturally break the bias in others as well.
Every woman is worth breaking the bias for.
