Better the balance, better the world
It’s the International Women’s Day today. The theme for this year is #BalanceforBetter and calls for gender equality, something that was absolutely outrageous in 1910 when the International Women’s Day was held for the first time. We’ve come a long way since then, but there are still fights to take.
Collective action and shared ownership are what makes International Women's Day successful. Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once said: "The story of women's struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights."
The International Women's Day is celebrated globally on 8 March each year; a day to highlight the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women throughout history and to call for action to accelerating gender equality.
Why does gender equality matter?
Apart from the obvious answer that men and women should have equal rights, gender equality makes a difference from a business perspective as well. It might not come as a surprise, but research shows that companies with gender, ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. It’s also clear that Fortune 500 companies with high representation of women in their boards financially outperform companies with low representation.
“Working for gender equality is obvious for me. If I’ve had daughters, it would made me furious if they wouldn’t have the same opportunities as men. It just shouldn’t be a question.” Nicklas Nilsson, President KanthalAt Kanthal, we are convinced that diversity and inclusion provide better chances to attract top talents, increase employee satisfaction and amplify decision-making, and that all these aspects lead to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns and customer satisfaction.
So, International Women’s Day is not a women's issue, it's a human issue and moreover – truly business critical. Make International Women's Day your day and do what you can to truly make a difference!
Read more: https://www.internationalwomensday.com
