Supporting and celebrating women’s rights is a year-round responsibility. But on International Women’s Day (IWD), which is on March 8 every year, it’s even more important to take a stand for gender equality & equal pay. Australia’s national gender pay gap is 14.1 per cent. The national gender pay gap is calculated by WGEA using the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This platform offers an excellent opportunity to write about a topic that is very important at the moment. As a working mother, housewife, and mother to a wonderful child, I want to express my views on women’s empowerment.
We conducted a successful CandidateConnect on March 5 2020, as a small initiative from Zone IT Solutions to empower women. Listening to their stories was a great experience. I am fortunate to be able to guide them on “how to get back into the market” and help them land the job of their dreams.
A recent interaction with a mother who took a career break to care for her child and family touched me with her enthusiasm and eagerness, considering her challenges. She is 42 years old and quite knowledgeable about new technology. She has successfully completed several certifications and online courses to support her credentials.
In our conversation, she asked nervously, “Would I get a job since I am 42 and competing with candidates ten years younger than me?” The question was valid, as humans make many decisions based on our preconceived notions. In this scenario, “Younger employees would be faster to adopt new technologies or be more productive, and she hasn’t been in the market recently.”
I realised women in this world only face these challenges; there are many other examples.
And yet, they overcome all of those challenges. Should we ignore their fighting spirit, which means a considerable skill set to be considered as an employer? Similarly, the amount of juggling with tasks a mother does is also an incredible skill, which makes them better at multitasking.
As a recruitment consultant, I facilitate and highlight candidates’ skills, making them a good fit for an employer. However, it is a responsibility for each one of us to give women in our life their due credit and remind them of their strengths.
After coming out of my thoughts, I answered that lady, “A woman can do anything she wants”. After hearing this, she felt confident, smiled, and said, “You are right”. Being a mother, I felt connected to her, and it was a great moment of pride for me that I was able to help her regain her confidence.
Empowering women is an essential task for each of us to undertake. We can empower girls and women in many ways, and the job does not solely lie with the government but with everyone in society. Empowering women is equal to empowering the whole community and future generations.
Women are the backbone of any society, so we should develop them from the beginning. Nevertheless, the question arises: Have women become stronger? Has the long-term struggle ended? Many government programs have been implemented and run to raise awareness about the rights and value of women in the nation’s development, such as International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc. In the sphere, women must progress in numbers.
The real meaning of women’s empowerment is to make them well-educated and leave them free so that they can become capable to make their own decisions in any field.
Finally, I wanted to say only one line for all women: “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.”
Let’s stand together for a better world. #Happy International Women’s Day to all lovely women’s in the world.
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