Each year on March 8th, HRPA proudly joins the global celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD). Focused on a specific theme each year, IWD sparks discussions on gender equality and parity in the workplace. This year’s IWD theme is all about Inspiring Inclusion.
What does it mean to Inspire Inclusion?
Inclusion is all about fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and included. It means ensuring equal access to opportunities and resources, but more importantly, it means creating a space where all individuals feel emotionally safe.
This year’s campaign theme highlights the importance of inclusivity in advancing gender equality. It urges action to dismantle barriers, confront stereotypes and cultivate spaces where every woman is valued and respected.
According to recent reports, Canada won’t reach gender parity until 2129. Clearly, there is still so much work to be done to achieve an equitable and inclusive society.
5 Ways to Inspire Inclusion
Explore our collection of thought-provoking blogs written by leading women HR experts. These blogs cover essential subjects that HR professionals and employers committed to promoting gender diversity in the workplace should be aware of.
1. Untangle Likeability Bias
"Unraveling likability bias presents a real challenge. It subtly rears its head in the post-meeting huddles where perceptions are shaped, or through the knowing glances exchanged among colleagues. It's in these seemingly inconspicuous moments that biases often manifest, underscoring the importance of not only recognizing but actively addressing and dismantling them for a more inclusive and equitable workplace."
- Julie Mahfouz Rezvani, Managing Director, The Orion Group
2. Sponsor Women to Success
"The benefits of mentorship and sponsorship extend beyond individual career advancement. For women, having a sponsor can accelerate their professional growth and enhance their job satisfaction, ultimately leading to greater retention within the organization."
- Larysa Grant, ACC, Times Change Women’s Employment Service
3. Amplify Women's Voices
"Publicly endorse women's ideas and give them credit. Organize initiatives that celebrate and highlight the contributions of women in the workplace."
- Lauren Canzius, MIR, CMP, Educator. Speaker. Consultant
4. Make Flexible Work a Necessity
"To truly inspire inclusion and increase the participation of women in the workplace, we need to focus on expanding flexible arrangements to allow organizations to hire the right people to do great work and not miss out on great candidates because of biases or traditional workplace regimes that are too restrictive."
- Amanda Giglio, Director of HR, Summerhill Market
5. Advance Women's Leadership
"Women have historically been conditioned to shy away from appearing overly confident in the workplace. However, it is crucial that this fear of arrogance does not hinder women from pursuing leadership roles where they possess the necessary potential and skills to excel."
- Julia Salvalaggio, CHRL, MacLean Engineering
Additional Resources
- HRPA’s Resource Centre
- Insights from past HRPA IWD blogs: IWD 2022, IWD 2023
- International Women’s Day
- Government of Canada: Invest in women: accelerate progress
- HRPA-CPHR Survey Results are In (Information on the Gender Pay Gap in HR)
- Check out more diverse perspectives from women in HR – 5 HR Professionals Share Perspectives on Black History Month
- Pay Equity Certificate program (April 16)
- Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program (April 16)