The theme this year for International Women’s Day is Each for Equal. Gender equality is not a “women’s issue”, it’s a business issue. Collectively, we all play a part to make gender equality a reality. After all, it benefits us all.
For Alcidion, when we think about diversity and inclusion, we also think about creating a culture of flexibility and empowerment, encouraging both men and women to take a balanced view of their lives.
There is always more work to do, so we asked our team members what Each for Equal means to them and how each of us can make change happen.
Here is what they said:
Vivek Krishnan, Data & Analytics Manager
‘Commitment, talent and ability to learn does not see gender, race or any other subjective factors. Recognition of a human being must be based on their intelligence, capabilities and competence, rather than a simple biological difference. As a company striving for success, it is extremely important to look beyond the gender and provide everyone with unprejudiced opportunities through unbiased salary, work/life balance, and equal learning and development opportunities.’
Sue Fossett, Administration Manager
‘Each for Equal means empowering every individual with opportunities, flexibility and support in order for everyone to achieve their full potential. It’s just as important to empower men with the same level of flexibility and support, as balancing work and life is everyone’s responsibility. I feel extremely lucky to work for a company and have a husband who fully appreciate these things #EachforEqual.’
Alex Lupish, Manager
‘Each for Equal means to me the opportunity for us all to work collaboratively as a team to achieve our goals and dream; an equal contribution from everyone. We are all in this together and I am lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing women and men who inspire me to be better both professionally and personally.’
Julia Stevens, General Manager Product
‘Valuing and respecting what everyone contributes equally – with no bias as to who they are or how they delivered it. What matters is the content they offer, and not their gender; working arrangements; sexual orientation; cultural heritage; or physical abilities.’
David Proctor, Senior Implementation Consultant
‘I believe in a world that is one step ahead of where we are now; a world where celebrating exceptional achievements of women as rare and wondrous isn’t necessary. For as long as I can remember, the most powerful acts and accomplishments have always come from women, and I no longer raise my eyebrows in amazement when I see them. Female brilliance isn’t a surprise; it’s to be expected. I believe there will come a time where female CEOs and World Leaders are the norm, and announcements of these positions will be met with shoulder shrugs instead of an intrigued spotlight.
‘For me it already is the norm. I have been incredibly fortunate to have experienced brilliant, passionate, talented women in all aspects of my life. Right from my own inspiring mother, to my college professors, to the multitude of incredible doctors (yes, female ones) and nurses in hospitals across the UK. In my early years of employment working in Manchester, I was guided by a series of amazing women in leadership roles who no doubt impacted my professional attitude and thinking. In more recent times, I have been involved with Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust as they embark upon the most ambitious project our company has taken on to date, and it is being led by a team of incredibly gifted women. Of course, this is absolutely something to be celebrated, but for me, it is yet another example of what I see every day – the magnificent capability of women everywhere.
‘I also believe that this potential for greatness doesn’t just cover gender. Human beings in general should be judged entirely by their abilities, work ethic, character and passions – not by their skin colour, gender, religion, sexuality or place of birth. Each unique individual brings their own unique opinions, perspectives and cultures; each of which strengthen the companies we work for and the world in which we live.
Sadly, in order to reach a future world where strong, empowering role models are the day-to-day norm, we must depend on those pioneers in the present who demonstrate excellence where it isn’t expected. We must teach our children to revere those pioneers, and not follow ideals that encourage any form of submission or inferiority.
‘It makes me incredibly proud to work for a company that exactly represents the future I want for the world. A brilliantly diverse team of highly talented individuals led by a woman; something that will one day be nothing special, but in the meantime, certainly is.’
Kaye Hocking, General Manager Marketing & Sales Support
‘I’m proud to work for a company that supports diverse representation at all levels of the organisation. Representation and equity are important to build products that serve all customers, to break down barriers in the industry and to foster a culture of inclusion that empowers your people and spurs innovation. It’s great to see that Alcidion has been acknowledged for its representation of women at a Board and senior management level, but sad to see that women are still not equally represented in the industry.’
‘I’m proud that our employees reflect and endorse the Alcidion values of diversity and inclusion. As you can see above, we have received such a positive response from men and women at Alcidion on their experiences with Each For Equal and what it means in both their personal and professional lives.’
‘I’m also reminded of the extraordinary women leaders who have campaigned for women and gender equality across all industries. Our former Prime Minister Julia Gillard was interviewed on British Breakfast TV in her role as Chair of the Global Institute of Women’s Leadership at Kings College – so impressive to see the impact of her experience and her efforts to change attitudes towards women in leadership ranks has been felt by people all around the world.’
‘It’s also important to acknowledge that equality started at a grassroots level. This International Women’s Day, I followed the crowds at Calle Gran Via in Madrid as they peacefully protested for Each for Equal. There was such positive and hopeful feeling in the crowd, with people joining from all walks of life. My Spanish was not great, but I had no trouble understanding the messages. The slogan on stage was “Con derechos, sin barrerios, feministas sin fronteros” which translates to “With rights, without barriers, feminists without borders” – a global message that can be shared wherever you are.’