Dr. Shyama Venkateswar, Senior Director of Learning at Seramount, opened the event by providing a brief history about the origins of International Women’s Day. She acknowledged that while we reflect with pride on the hard work and accomplishments of people across genders who played an important role in shaping history, we must be very aware of the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender parity for all.

Dr. Venkateswar emphasized the importance of inclusion and intersectionality in achieving gender parity. She quoted LGBTQIA+ advocate Amber Leventry, saying: “including transgender and nonbinary folks on International Women’s Day does not take away from womanhood. In fact, it takes a stronger stance against sexism and patriarchy, and that’s the goal.” This quote provided a crucial perspective to International Women’s Day, reminding us that while we need to celebrate progress—violence, bias, discrimination, and harassment continue to affect women, transgender men, and nonbinary people daily across the world.

Dr. Venkateswar concluded her opening remarks by reminding attendees of this year’s International Women’s Day theme: #EmbraceEquity. This theme signals that equal opportunities are no longer enough. She asked that attendees lend their support to the young people taking the charge to disrupt patriarchies by protesting oppression, tyranny, and hierarchies.

The webinar featured three speakers: Tara Grammy, an actor, writer, producer, and an Iranian activist; Tandra Cheatham, head of pricing for the Americas and Under Armour, and chair of their Women Inspiring, Leader, and Living team resource group; and Penny Killow, global crisis and business continuity manager of Moody’s corporation. They each spoke about their own experiences in embracing equity through advocacy, community building, and workplace empowerment and support. Here are my takeaways from this powerful event:

Our Superpower Is Compassion

In her keynote address, Iranian-born Tara Grammy spoke passionately about the spirit of International Women’s Day through the lens of Iranian women and encouraged attendees to lead with compassion to make positive change in the world. Grammy has been speaking out against Iran’s totalitarian regime and gender apartheid state since 2011 but feels hopeful for the future of her country. The rallying cry of the brave men and women of today’s uprising is “Zan. Zendegi. Azadi.” – Woman, Life, Freedom. Grammy expanded on this phrase, saying: “There is no life without freedom. There is no life without women.”

Grammy, in keeping with the idea of intersectionality, emphasized that this is not simply an Iranian issue or a women’s issue but a human rights issue. She went on to say: “Our superpower is compassion. If we allow ourselves, we can feel the pain of others….If we feel it, we can hold it, and if we can hold it, we can help heal it.”

With this mindset, Grammy has been able to see the impact of her activism for the women of Iran and encourages attendees to find a cause they believe in and use compassion to appeal to the humanity of others and drive meaningful, lasting change.

There Is No Limit When We Work Together

To Tandra Cheatham, working within our communities and supporting women and young girls to unlock their potential is crucial to embracing equity and cultivating opportunities. Under Armour’s Team Resource Group WILL (Women Inspiring, Leading, and Living) empowers and enables all Under Armour Women to aspire, inspire, lead, and live to achieve their highest potential. So, when Under Armour began conceptualizing and planning their International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month designs, WILL was heavily involved to ensure an authentic representation of what being a woman and an athlete means.

In the final designs, a few phrases came to the top, but “There is no limit” stuck out the most. This phrase means a lot to WILL members, who bring that mindset out into the community. That is why they volunteer with nonprofit organizations Girls on the Run and Girls Love Mail—to reach girls at a critical age, strengthening their confidence when society begins to tell them that they can’t. As Cheatham reiterated, “Now, more than ever, girls need to be accepted, inspired, and motivated.”

COMMUNICATION AND THE RIGHT SUPPORT ALLOWS A PERSON TO THRIVE

In Penny Killow’s experience making workplaces more supportive and inclusive, she found that we need to “age up to our aging workforce” and remove the taboo around menopause. At Moody’s corporation, they agreed and began the initiative to become a “menopause-friendly company” and were officially accredited as such by the end of 2022.

Along the way, Killow learned that an educated workforce, especially managers, makes for a safer and more comfortable workplace for anyone affected by menopause. At Moody’s, for example, management training includes profiles of menopausal people across different ages and symptoms to make it easier for employees, particularly younger people, to have conversations with better-educated managers. By being careful, open, and sharing, we can remove the anxiety and fear around menopause —in the workplace and in people’s everyday lives.

Killow’s final “call to arms” was a reminder that menopause is a natural phase of life that happens to people across a variety of ages. She encouraged attendees to look into their companies and see if they have a menopause policy and ask questions or start a project of their own. With the right support, symptoms can be managed and a person can thrive. She concluded by encouraging attendees, “Please help me blow away these myths and taboos around the menopause, and remember it doesn’t affect 50% of the population; it affects us all.”

Seramount’s International Women’s Day webinar exemplified why it is important to continue to work toward achieving true gender parity. At the foundation of International Women’s Day is a spirit of solidarity and allyship across genders and identities continuing to advance beyond our history of accomplishments toward equity. The speakers emphasized the need for courage and passion to step forward and make meaningful change in the world and take a stance against the patriarchy.

It was said many times during the webinar that women’s rights are human rights. Embracing equity for women does not take on one single, uniform cause—but instead encompasses a multitude of issues unique to our varying identities and passions. Intersectionality is what enables us to advocate for greater inclusion for all. Contact us to learn more about Seramount’s Diversity Best Practices membership

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American Association of University Women (AAUW)

American Association of University Women advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. AAUW (formerly known as the American Association of University Women) is a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches and 500 college and university institution partners.

American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)

The American Medical Women’s Association is an organization which functions at the local, national and international level to advance women in medicine and improve women’s health. We achieve this by providing and developing leadership, advocacy, education, expertise, mentoring and through building strategic alliances.

AnitaB.org

AnitaB.org is a social enterprise that supports women in technical fields, as well as the organizations that employ them and the academic institutions training the next generation. The group offers events and workshops in the U.S. and India that teach members how to form diverse work environments and it provides educational resources on technology and gender diversity in tech.

Asian Women In Business

Founded in 1995, Asian Women In Business (AWIB) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization with the primary mission of assisting Asian women entrepreneurs and professionals. AWIB also serves on various task forces and boards to promote the inclusion of minority and women owned businesses and professionals.

Association for Women in Communications (AWC)

The Association for Women in Communications is a professional organization that champions the advancement of women across all communications disciplines by recognizing excellence, promoting leadership and positioning its members at the forefront of the evolving communications era.

Black Girls Code

The mission of Black Girls Code is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, leaders in their communities, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology. Their aim is to provide African American youth with the skills to occupy some of the 1.4 million computing job openings now open and to train 1 million girls by 2040.

Financial Women’s Association (FWA)

Financial Women’s Association is a nonprofit professional organization established in 1956 by a group of Wall Street women. Its goals are: to advance professionalism in finance and in the financial services industry with special emphasis on the role and development of women, to attain greater recognition for women’s achievements in business, to encourage women to seek career opportunities in finance and business.

General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)

The General Federation of Women’s Clubs is a nonpartisan, nondenominational, women’s volunteer service organization founded in 1890. More than 100,000 members in affiliated clubs in every state and more than a dozen countries work in their own communities to support the arts, preserve natural resources, advance education, promote healthy lifestyles, encourage civic involvement, and work toward world peace and understanding.

Girls Incorporated

Girls Incorporated is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold. With roots dating to 1864, Girls Inc. has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas.

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is on a mission to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. In addition to clubs across the U.S., the organization recently expanded programming in Canada, the U.K. and India.

League of Women Voters of the United States (LWV)

The League of Women Voters of the United States, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League’s enduring vitality and resonance comes from its unique decentralized structure. The League is a grassroots organization, working at the national, state and local levels.

National Association for Female Executives (NAFE)

Founded in 1972, the National Association of Female Executives provides education, networking and public advocacy to empower its members to achieve career success and financial security. Members are women executives, business owners, entrepreneurs and others who are committed to NAFE’s mission: the advancement of women in the workplace.

National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW)

The National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization that has been at the forefront of social change through championing the needs of women, children, and families — while taking a progressive stance on such issues as child welfare, women’s rights, and reproductive freedom.

National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)

The National Council of Negro Women is a council of national African-American women’s organizations and community-based sections. NCNW’s mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. NCNW fulfills this purpose through research, advocacy and national and community-based services and programs.

National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA)

The National Latina Business Women Association (NLBWA) is national association created to champion effective programs and services that address the unique context Latinas face in business and professions. Through a network of chapters across the country, NLBWA’s mission is to promote, develop and support the rapid growth and successes of Latina business owners and professionals through increased representation, mentorship and networking opportunities.

National Organization for Women (NOW)

The largest organization of feminist activists in the United States, NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW’s goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women.

National Women’s Business Council (NWBC)

The National Women’s Business Council is a bipartisan federal advisory council created to serve as an independent source of advice and policy recommendations to the President, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration on economic issues of importance to women business owners. The Council’s mission is to promote bold initiatives, policies and programs designed to support women’s business enterprises at all stages of development in the public and private sector marketplaces, from start-up to success to significance.

Rutgers Institute for Women’s Leadership

As a consortium of nine units dedicated to education, research, and public service, the Institute for Women’s Leadership (IWL) at Rutgers-New Brunswick examines women and gender, advocates on behalf of diversity and gender equity, and advances women’s leadership in all arenas of public life. The Institute for Women’s Leadership works collaboratively to lead activities in three areas: Model leadership and mentoring programs for women; Interdisciplinary research on women’s leadership; Serving as a catalyst and incubator for innovative programs and resources on women’s leadership.

She Runs It

She Runs It brings together the women and men who want to help build a better marketing and media landscape. One where a woman runs her projects, runs her team, runs the department, runs the business, and runs her life. They believe together, we can create a world where no matter the task or ask – She Runs It.

Women in Film & Television International (WIFI)

Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI) is a global network comprised of nearly 40 Women in Film chapters worldwide with more than 10,000 members, dedicated to advancing professional development and achievement for women working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media. Membership includes dynamic professionals who represent every aspect of the industry: from producers and directors to accountants and lawyers, from camera and sound technicians to actors and animators.

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP)

Women Impacting Public Policy is a national nonpartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business in the legislative processes of our nation, creating economic opportunities and building bridges and alliances to other small business organizations.

Women in Technology International (WITI)

Women in Technology International is a trade association for tech-savvy women, empowering women in business and technology to achieve unimagined possibilities. WITI has programs and partnerships that provide connections, resources, opportunities and a supportive environment of women committed to helping each other.

Women of Color in Communications (ColorComm)

ColorComm is an organization for women of color in all areas of communications including public relations, corporate communications, advertising, print media, broadcast, digital and more. The group’s mission is to build a strong network of leaders by creating mentors/mentees, business relationships and friendships.

Women’s Sports Foundation

The Women’s Sports Foundation is a national charitable educational organization dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women of all ages and skills levels through physical activity.

YWCA USA

The YWCA is one of the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. Across the globe, the organization has more than 25 million members in 106 countries, including 2.6 million members and participants in 300 local associations in the United States. The YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism and empower women.

Zonta International

Zonta International is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. With more than 31,000 members in 66 countries and geographic areas, members volunteer their time, talents and support to local and international service projects as well as scholarship programs.

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