UN Women announced the theme for today’s International Women’s Day as being “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world”. This year’s theme celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping an equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

In a recent article, UN Women stated that this year’s theme is also aligned with the priority theme of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “Women’s full and effective participation and decision-making in public life, as well as the elimination of violence, for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”, and the flagship Generation Equality campaign, which calls for women’s right to decision-making in all areas of life, equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end all forms of violence against women and girls, and health-care services that respond to their needs.

Around the world many women have stood, and continue to stand, on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health care workers, caregivers, innovators, community organizers, full-time mothers turned teachers, and as some of the most exemplary and effective national leaders in combating the pandemic.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘women in leadership’ means a lot to us at En Avant. As two women working in partnership for over seven years, we firmly believe in the importance of women ‘having a seat at the table’. Having worked mostly in the financial services sector it is no surprise that there has rarely been a large number of women at Board or Executive level, no matter where we have worked, although this being said, it has been refreshing and promising to see the vast increase in female staff members within this industry. It would also be unfair not to point out the initiatives that are beginning to be put in place to ensure further equality within this industry, as well as many others. From B Corp certification looking at the diversification of a business through to female initiatives popping up left right and centre from both an internal and external perspective.

In addition to this, we are incredibly proud to have worked with a number of strong female leaders, and have had exposure to supporting female entrepreneurs, family heads, mothers, supportive wives and thriving female rising generation members.

Having worked as a Head of Marketing for over 13 years in a strongly male dominated world, Co-Founder of En Avant, Nicola Roigard, offers this view,

“There is more acceptance now than ever that women bring different experiences, perspectives and skills to the table, which is only natural. Female leaders worldwide have been known to make valuable contributions to decisions, policies and laws, as well as, more often than not, offering the compassionate delivery of communications in order to ensure the success of their efforts.

I may be biased, but as a proud New Zealander, it has been clear that throughout the Covid-19 pandemic there have been moments of advantage and success by countries that are women led, New Zealand being one of many examples, such as other heads of government in Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand and Slovakia. Their speed, decisiveness and compassion enabled an effective initial response which was globally recognised.”

It is our belief at En Avant that female leadership can come in all shapes and sizes, from the importance of the role of a mother imparting family values upon the next generation and creating a nurturing environment in which for her wider family to flourish, through to female entrepreneurs and family business ‘heads’, who continue to innovate, inspire and progress their respective businesses.

The theme for this years’ International Women’s Day is incredibly strong and reflects the ever-developing world in which we live. Today, we join the world in celebrating International Women’s Day and fully support the vital work being undertaken by the UN, as well as their theme for this year.

Additional information related to the United Nations Observance of IWD 2021 is available on UN Women’s website.

[1] As of 8 November 2020. These data are compiled by UN Women based on information from UN Permanent Missions; only elected Heads of State are taken into consideration

Source: UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/11/announcer-international-womens-day-2021