老九品茶es and organisations across the world are keen to celebrate and empower the women in their workforces.
They are also looking to the future to see what more can be done to showcase role models in the technology industry.聽
On International Women鈥檚 Day recently, emphasis was placed on equity within organisations. Whilst huge efforts have already been made towards equality and creating inclusive and diverse environments, the need for more equity has become apparent.聽
Equity simply means providing workers with what they personally need rather than implementing blanket benefits for everyone. The debate of equity vs equality isn’t by any means new, but it can often be hard to differentiate between the two.聽
鈥淓quality means treating everyone the same way, without taking into account their individual differences or needs鈥�, says Weronika Babrecka (pictured), team leader at Future Processing. 鈥淥n the other hand, equity means providing each person with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, regardless of their starting point.鈥澛�
Traditionally, employee benefits have been uniform across the board, but in today鈥檚 modern world where benefits and culture play a substantial role in workplace decisions for staff, 鈥榗ookie cutter鈥� benefits are a thing of the past.聽
鈥淭hat means that not only income equality, but internal company equality policies or fair promotion rules are essential,鈥� continues Babrecka. 鈥淥ther practices such as flexible working time, remote work or a set of benefits – for example co-funding for for nursery and pre-school – can also really help to increase the feeling of equity.鈥�
We need to bring in more black women to fix AI鈥檚 bias problem
Incorporating a feeling of equity and value into organisations can not only benefit the industry, but can also create a stronger, more resilient and diverse workforce. Offering all employees opportunities and benefits that best suit their personal situations is not only a benefit but is now an expectation, especially in a post-COVID world.
Taking steps towards a more equitable future is achievable for organisations of all sizes, and those across the technology industry are hopeful about what that means for them. Suzanne Pierce, support director at real estate software platform – seventh on our PropTech 50 ranking last year – says: 鈥淐hange doesn鈥檛 happen by hoping and wishing for things, it happens through action, support and encouragement on a one-on-one basis.聽
鈥淭he more we can all support each other, regardless of gender or sexual preference the better, making it all about the person and what they can contribute to our industry and society is key.鈥�
Rebecca Worsley, founder & CEO of Rainy City Agency, agrees. 鈥淚 go to lots of networking and eCommerce events and the split between male and female is incredibly one-sided. The most frequently asked question when meeting someone new and telling them about the agency is – 鈥楽o is it just yours or do you have a partner?鈥櫬�
鈥淚t’s said as though it’s impossible for a woman to have started an agency without the help of another person.鈥�
Worsley will speak on our panel – ‘The platforms optimising online retail’ – at Manchester Digital’s eCommerce Conference on Thursday 23rd March. You can register for the event here.
eCommerce Conference 2023 – The platforms optimising online retail
In changing from a 鈥榥ice-to-have鈥� to a 鈥榤ust-have鈥�, equity policies are essential for any modern and progressive business to have in place. And with the technology industry still dominated by men, this has resulted in disparities in access to opportunities for upcoming female talent.聽
鈥淭his has resulted in a wide range of issues including pay inequity, limited opportunities for advancement, and an overall lack of diversity in thought and perspective,鈥� concludes Babrecka.聽
鈥溊暇牌凡鑕s must prioritise gender equity in their hiring and promotion practices and provide equal opportunities for professional growth and development for the next generation.鈥�