Women's Day celebrations with a "purpose"!!!!

It's that time of the year when companies are planning loads of activities on occasion of International Women's Day. This year's theme is #PledgeForParity. So now the question is how can we as professionals and corporates work together to achieve this? One thing that we all agree is that changes will not happen overnight. But we need to start NOW to make this required change. So, let's look at some of the events that companies can take up to celebrate International Women's Day.

Recruitment:

Hiring has always been close to my heart and so I'm taking this as the 1st event. Companies need to come up with specific requirements where in they can showcase the amazing opportunity that women have and how it can help them learn and grow in the system. Once its finalized, recruiters need to work closely with HR and Marketing Teams to highlight women centric policies with these requirements.This will build confidence for prospective women candidates to apply and also for them to know of such policies that encourage them to work and succeed in the organisation. 

Employer Branding:

This is an important piece wherein companies need to highlight the success stories of their current women leaders and workforce. Sharing Videos, Blogs, articles, Posts, Banners around the amazing work that these women employees have performed is a start. This is ideally the best thing that companies can do to encourage more women to join the workforce.   

Mentoring and Coaching Sessions:

Companies have a great opportunity to empower their current women workforce via Mentoring and Coaching sessions. Such events and programs surely help in creating meaningful conversations among women. They must make the most of this and choose mentors and coach budding women professionals in the company. The best thing women can do is empower each-other. 

BringHRBack:

Companies can create focused campaigns in order to encourage returning women professionals to apply. This is not an easy task for sure as companies can't fake this. They need to provide a conducive environment for women to apply via such campaigns. And who best than your own women leaders who can talk about their own success stories and how they have come back as strong leaders and grown within the organisation even after taking a break.

I am sure that many would be saying "Why do this only on or before  International Women's Day?". Well, you have to start somewhere. What better day than International Women's Day. Make this a habit and rope in women employees in your organisation to plan such events. Do not forget to involve men too. As they too need to understand the challenge that they knowingly or unknowingly have created for women in the workforce.

Would be great to know how you are planning to celebrate Women's Day in your organisation. Do share your views and suggestions with us!

By Kunjal Kamdar
The author is a Social Media Strategist at Polaris Consulting & Services Ltd 

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