Sandrine Lah
Sandrine has worked at Simpson for five years and is a vital part of Simpson’s Human Resources and Equity team.
It’s Women’s History Month, and an important highlight in this annual recognition of women and their impact is International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day (March 8th) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is a pillar for progress and change; a day of celebration, accountability, and reinforcement; a day that marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
We can all work to help forge women’s equality sooner and faster. Wouldn’t we all want to live in a world where women:
- Are treated equally?
- Are safe, healthy, and economically advantaged?
- Enjoy opportunities of leadership?
- Receive equal rights, opportunities and access?
International Women’s Day gives organizations the opportunity to rethink their policies and encourage gender diversity and equality within their work culture. Approximately 73 percent of the American nonprofit workforce is female, and our Simpson community is no exception. 70.3 percent of our workforce is female; 85 percent of our Leadership Team is female; and 55 percent of our Board is female. Our workforce is also representative of the populations we serve, with approximately 56 percent of shelter guests and program participants being female.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is breaking the bias.
Imagine a gender equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Together we can forge women’s equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
Source: IWD 2022 street art by @___snaps
It is important to understand that bias is a complex, multifaceted issue. Whether it is deliberate or unconscious, implicit or explicit, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead in the workforce, and more generally, in life. However, just knowing that bias exists isn’t always enough. Action is also needed in order to level the playing field. The focus on advancement for women doesn’t and shouldn’t begin or end on March 8th, just as actions taken to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in our personal and professional lives shouldn’t be limited to just one day. Not only is it not enough for organizations to be champions for women, it is important challenge bias with respect to ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, faith, family responsibilities, etc.
We need to challenge ourselves to confront bias in our everyday lives, and this theme highlights the importance of making active strides in working towards a world that is free of stereotypes and discrimination, a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, a world where our differences are valued and celebrated.
It goes without saying that in order to build inclusive workplaces where women of all identities are supported and empowered, we have a lot of work to do.
Let’s use this day to celebrate women’s achievements around the world, raise awareness against bias, and take action for equality. And also highlight three leaders around the world.
Anisa Nandaula
Anisa Nandaula is an internationally recognized spoken word poet, playwright, educator, and published author. Born in Kampala, Uganda, Anisa moved to Australia at the age of eight. While growing up in Australia, she noticed the obvious distinctions between the country she was growing up in and the country she was born into. The fundamental differences in the living standards sparked her passion to articulate her thoughts on political and social justice issues. She has received a multitude of accolades, appeared at numerous high-profile events, and performed on some of the largest and most prestigious stages in the world, such as the Woodford Folk Festival, Splendour in the Grass, and the Sydney Opera House. Her poetry explores issues of race, feminism, politics, identity, violence, and worth. Her work is often controversial and explores the complexities of being a child of diaspora, history, and the importance of philosophical questioning. Anisa co-founded the poetry organization Voices of Colour in 2016, which aims to inspire the next generation of women from underrepresented communities to embrace their passion for social justice and equity within their communities.
Aminah Rahman
Aminah Rahman is an award-winning poet and spoken word artist. Born and raised in Cambridge, UK, Aminah is a third-generation British-Bangladeshi with over 60 years of family history in Cambridge. She has been writing poetry since she was eight years old, and most of her poetry focuses on fighting racism and celebrating who we are as individuals. Her mission is to break down any barriers that could stop people from reaching their potential. She hopes to connect to the souls of many people who draw comfort from her words. She has contributed widely to several print and online publications, including (but not limited to) Writing Magazine, Hayati Magazine, The Muslim Women Times, and BBC Radio.
Clarice Bajkowski
Based out of Austin Texas, TypeMinistry’s Clarice Bajkowski is art director and brand designer who has been recognized for her strategic thinking, consensus building, and ability to integrate social issues into immersive, data-driven, customer-centric experiences. She is a letter artist and storyteller who creates hand lettered prints, posters, and commissioned work with motivational messages focused on creating space for lasting change. Her work is impressive and impactful, and encourages her audience to #BreakTheBias and help forge positive change. Throughout the course of her career, she has worked at the intersection of storytelling and user experience for the arts, continuing education, and tech industries. She is currently serving as creative director for The 19th, leading brand strategy and communication design. When she isn’t immersed in building human-centered creative hubs for underrepresented and underserved communities, you can find her writing and designing for her motivational typography project, TypeMinistry.
More information available on International Women’s Day and this year’s theme at www.internationalwomensday.com.
