Opinion: Three ways to empower women at work

By Brenda Ibarah

March 8th is here again and we are celebrating women for their achievements and contributions to society. It is also the time of the year when world over, we are called on to support women and continue the fight for gender equality.

Like in most spaces, the gender gap still refuses to shrink at work and while it is nice to appreciate women on women’s day, we can do more to empower women on a daily basis in our places of work.

Here are three ways we can achieve this.

Pay women

The gender pay gap still refuses to shrink all over the world. Women are paid less in jobs where they do the equal if not more work than men. It is the result of many factors, including occupational segregation, bias against working mothers, and direct pay discrimination.

The patriarchal belief that women are to be taken care of by men is another cause of the gender pay gap.

In order to bridge these gap employers should ensure that women are paid for the work they do regardless of their gender or marital status. There should also be transparency in pay practices to impact real change.

Listen to Women

Everyone has been in that boardroom meeting where women are talked over or interrupted by a man. This happens in male dominated companies where women are not listened to and their contributions are downplayed because of their gender.

You can help end this by paying attention to women and listen when they bring their ideas or complaints to the table. When you disagree with a woman, instead of rudely shutting her down, politely explain why you disagree. Also try not to mansplain. Mansplaining is when a man talks to a woman in a patronizing or insulting way.

Give Women Opportunities

We live in a male dominated world hence the huge number of male dominated industries. However women have been challenging the status quo by succeeding in these industries but with way more challenges than their male counterparts.

This year’s Women’s Day theme from UN women is ‘Think Equality, Build Smart, Innovate for change’ and is a god place to start when it comes to creating opportunities for women. Women are just as smart and capable as men and shouldn’t be left out of building a great future for us all. By supporting women, we support the nation.

Happy women’s day to all the women!