While recognizing women and their great accomplishments is part of Women in Retail Leadership Circle’s DNA, we’re excited to join the rest of the world in recognizing International Women’s Day (IWD). This global day is observed annually on March 8, and celebrates the “social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women” around the world, according to the International Women’s Day website. IWD, which also calls for action to advance gender equality, was born out of the women’s rights movement in industrializing countries during the early 1900s.

This year’s campaign theme — #BreaktheBias — asks the world to call out instances of bias against women in the workplace, at school and at home. “Whether deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to move ahead,” the International Women’s Day website reads. “Knowing that bias exists isn’t enough. [A]ction is needed to level the playing field. Are you in? Will you actively call out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping each time you see it?” The campaign also asks people to show their support for this year’s theme by posting selfies to social media posing with their arms crossed and tagging the image with hashtags #BreaktheBias and #IWD2022.

So, what can we do, collectively, to “break the bias” that exists toward women in the retail industry, today, tomorrow and every day? Here are just a few actions you can take:

  • Enable people to achieve work-life balance. That’s a key point made in this article from Women in Retail Leadership Circle authored by Anisha Raghavan, chief marketing officer, global brands Americas, Walgreens Boot Alliance. “There’s still this gender stereotype around women carrying the burden at home,” and only 20 percent of companies have any sort of childcare assistance. To put everyone onto an even playing field, corporate American needs to evaluate gender equity problems and fix where apparent.
  • Ensure fairness in selection and development of future leaders. This article written by leadership author Martin Lanik recommends a five-step solution for breaking the cycle of bias in the leadership pipeline. This includes evaluating how your organization currently identifies high-potential employees, rolling out bias training for all, and helping managers make better decisions by giving them more objective data about employees’ readiness and future potential.
  • Offer professional development opportunities to remote and hybrid workers. More women have adapted to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to do so. In an article on how organizations can support women at work post-COVID, author Sarah Johnson suggests companies invest in multimethod development opportunities in which women can participate online or in person, as well as implement programs that connect women to mentors and leaders within the organization — no matter where they’re physically located.
  • Develop a personal leadership brand that fights workplace bias. It’s a fact that leadership branding is different for women. It’s connected to the many unconscious biases that are rampant in the modern workplace, such as individual and organizational biases in recruiting, hiring, evaluation and promotion practices. Executive coach CC Cameron shares how women can develop a personal leadership brand that fights bias against their ability to lead in this video from WIRLC.

These are a just a few small ways we can join the movement and work to break the bias against women this year and beyond!