A day to celebrate the changes that were implemented finally giving women their flowers. Not actual flowers but better autonomy over their bodies and freedom. We could simply smile, hug our female loved ones or debate the existence of such a day (since there is no Man’s Day), but there are some serious issues that are still lingering around us. No better day than the celebration of the progress we made to highlight injustices that are still prevalent today. 

With the highest ranking for gender equality being held by Iceland at 91.2% according to the  Global Gender Gap report, the only country to reach 90% to close the gap for women. In a world where it feels that women’s rights are equal to their male counterparts, it is a hard truth for especially men to learn, that we are not quite there. One of the countries that is closest to reaching that 100% equality, from women in the government to the gender pay gap is Iceland and still they had one of their biggest strikes in 48 years according to the Guardian, where 100,000 women (and non-binary people) joined together and caused disruption in the whole country. Women’s rights are worth the disruption and show the importance women play within a country’s institutions, organisations and society. A total shutdown to reach the 100% that Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir says she wants to achieve before 2030. 

These are hard-hitting truths women are still not only earning less than their male colleagues but 1 in 4 women in the UK experience abuse in their lifetime which is 1 in 6-7 for men according to the National Centre for Domestic Abuse. We still have to change and evolve to ensure safe spaces for women (or female-presenting people) worldwide. These issues go beyond the borders of the UK and are issues women face similarly or worse around the globe. 

With the rise of AI, women are now scared of how technology will affect their lives. While tech bros are celebrating the advances AI puts more women at risk of having deepfakes, or sexually explicit videos of them through AI technology on the internet. Something that people like Taylor Swift have already experienced through these deepfakes as the Guardian reports the importance of putting laws down to protect women (and people) from this exploitative technology.

You are probably asking yourself. Is there any good news for women? 

And it is a valid question, but one that is hard to answer. There is progress being made, with the new law that the EU Council passed new rule on pay transparency to tackle the gender pay gap. It is an effective way to ensure that companies have to be transparent about what they are offering for a role and therefore that there are no discrepancies that come up later along the lines. The regulation will also fine any business that does to comply with the rules. Some good news, right? 

We just cannot and should not stop here. There is so much more that needs to be done and it is more than handing out flowers. We need to change mindsets, continue to have uncomfortable conversations and stick up for women every chance we get. That is what we believe at ExecuiveSurf, with a team full of diverse faces and voices, we believe that is the strength of any organisation and any team. 

Let’s make this year’s Women’s Day count!