SINGAPORE: Every year on Mar 8, International Women’s Day ( IWD ) heralds a slew of speeches, panel discussions and social media tributes. Organizations put out comments, enjoy the efforts of their female staff past or present and reconfirm their devotion to gender equality.  ,
But here’s the fact: If we were doing IWD straight, we wouldn’t want it.
The purpose of IWD was not only to enjoy past accomplishments, it was also about paving the way for improvement.  , But, years on from the United Nations ‘ 1977 classification of IWD as an international moment of identification, we are also commemorating it by having the same interactions and pointing out the same discrepancies.
If sex capital were really embedded in our offices and civilizations, we would not need a designated time to tell us to work.
ONE DAY IS NOT ENOUGH
If the progress made in a year just gets talked about on Mar 8, then we truly are no moving fast enough.  ,
Very often, companies and leaders wait for IWD to make great gestures ,- a panel, a cultural post, a pledge- subsequently move on the next day. If we are lucky, maybe the work of IWD lasts for the whole week alternatively- maybe even a month. But once that’s done, it’s back to business as usual.  ,
Whether it’s a day, a week or a month, gender parity is still a temporary focus rather than an ongoing priority.
Imagine if we treated gender equality the way we treat financial performance- tracked, measured and reported on regularly, not just when it is convenient. Companies set quarterly revenue goals, conduct employee performance reviews and adjust strategies in real time.
Why is gender equity not held to the same standard?