To mark International Women's Day 2023, we have interviewed a few of our female staff members at GAIN. This interview aims to shine a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of women in the workplace and their significant impact on an organisation's success.
Join us as we delve into the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of our female colleagues, and gain insight into their journey towards achieving their goals.
This interview is a tribute to all women who have worked tirelessly to make their mark in their respective industries and inspire future generations of women to do the same.
One stereotype women in the workplace are tired of hearing.
That women in leadership‚ initiatives should target women and empower them to step up to redress leadership imbalances, maybe things will change more quickly if we ALL recognise and value different types of leadership and focus on men adapting traditional (male-defined) leadership spaces to make them more accessible for women.
What inspires you to come to work every day?
Feeling that it matters, that what I do makes a difference, to my colleagues, to the organisation, and ultimately to our beneficiaries and mission.
One quality that every woman must admire about herself.
I don't think there is one quality that is universal to women, but I think every woman must have permission and confidence to find, exercise, and celebrate whatever qualities that they personally have and consider to be of value.
What does equity mean to you?
In the workplace, it means, that everyone is able to contribute the best of themselves for the benefit of everyone else. That is, we get the benefit of everyone's talents for the good of our mission, our beneficiaries, and each other as colleagues.
What advice would you give to women starting out their career?
Don't wait to be asked or given permission if you can see a way you can add value, improve things, solve problems, or just do a better job - just get on with it (respectfully, of course).
I think every woman must have permission and confidence to find, exercise, and celebrate whatever qualities that they personally have and consider to be of value.
Women will achieve true equality when _______
We (as in everyone) learn to think about and value each other for what each individual can do that is of service to all, not what package we come in.
What unique strengths do women bring to leadership roles, and how can organisations leverage these strengths to drive success?
Though I don't think there are particularly unique qualities that all women bring, women who have achieved leadership roles probably have developed (varied) creative strategies to get there whether it's the ability to take risks, effective negotiation, technical excellence, great team-building, any of which would benefit the organisation if we recognise them and make sure there are opportunities for them to lead and support others in those.