International Women’s Day: How We’re Inspiring Inclusion at Beyond Green

What is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual global celebration on 8th March recognising the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also serves as a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The day has now been observed for over a century and is marked by various activities, including rallies, marches, conferences, art exhibitions, and more, and is aimed at raising awareness about women’s issues and rights worldwide. Every year International Women’s Day has a specific theme, 2024’s theme is #InspireInclusion.

How we’re Inspiring Inclusion at Beyond Green

As a small and passionate team, we are dedicated to creating a better, more efficient, sustainable, and equitable future for everyone. We are committed to addressing and challenging inequalities in all forms, and with International Women’s Day on the horizon, we have engaged in thoughtful discussions about the difficulties and experiences faced by women in society.

During these discussions, we delved deep into many issues, from workplace biases to societal expectations. We recognise the importance of creating a space where women can flourish both personally and professionally, where they feel supported and empowered to pursue their goals. To illustrate these conversations, our team collaboratively created a diagram, shared below, which highlights the areas we identified that contribute to the problem of women being excluded or underrepresented.

A fishbone diagram covering the key themes of: lack of access to healthcare and ableism, lack of access to education, gender-based violence, work-life balance, lack of representation, and stereotypes and biases about what it is to be a boy or a girl - all leading to the more general problem of women lacking seats at the table and being excluded. See link below to full description.

The text-only version of this diagram is available here.

The key themes we discussed were: lack of access to healthcare and ableism, less access to education, gender based violence, work-life balance, lack of representation, and stereotypes and biases surrounding gender identity. All of these areas tie into the broader issue of women frequently being excluded, overlooked or not feeling empowered to contribute their ideas and opinions.

Often subconscious biases drive and enable these issues to persist; these biases are deeply ingrained in our social norms and experiences, and can influence how all of us, regardless of our own gender, perceive and interact with women. These biases can manifest both in subtle and more discernible ways, such as interrupting or dismissing female colleagues in meetings and other social settings, such as when making a big purchase when accompanied by a male partner. We discussed personal examples relating to buying a car, and booking a holiday, where the salespersons ignored and excluded the woman in the conversation, automatically addressing the male, despite the women in these situations being the purchaser. Such biases are harmful, creating barriers to mutual support and hindering women’s ability to contribute and advocate for their own interests.

The stigma surrounding women’s health issues was also an interesting point of conversation. Cultural norms and taboos can discourage women from seeking care or discussing their concerns openly, and healthcare professionals are not always aware of women’s health issues due to a lack of research availability and training. If health issues are left unaddressed this can lead to further issues and social isolation; exacerbating feelings of anxiety, depression, trauma and the worsening of physical health conditions.

Promoting diversity and inclusion aligns with the core values of sustainability,  as it represents principles of equality, fairness and social justice.

In the sustainability, environment, and consulting sectors, there is a concerning trend of dominance by individuals from privileged backgrounds, leading to the exclusion of marginalised groups. This lack of diversity not only limits the range of perspectives and solutions, but also perpetuates inequalities. Marginalised women, including those from ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ communities, and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, often face additional barriers to entry and fewer opportunities for progression. 

From the perspective of our company, addressing this issue is vital for a number of reasons. Diversity encourages innovation and creativity and enables the development of more holistic and effective sustainability strategies. Promoting diversity and inclusion aligns with the core values of sustainability,  as it represents principles of equality, fairness and social justice. Finally, by ensuring fair representation, companies can better understand and reflect the needs of diverse stakeholders, leading to more inclusive and impactful actions. 

We recognise the importance of supporting one another, fostering an environment of inclusivity, honesty, and understanding. By emphasising the importance of learning, sharing our experiences, and challenging social biases, we aim to create a fairer society and make time for these important discussions. Nurturing a safe space for open dialogue and mutual respect, we seek to contribute to dismantling barriers that hold women back from participating, and realising their full potential. 

The Riddle

As part of our discussions we found the following riddle, why not give it a go for yourself? The answer will be revealed at the end of the blog.

A father is about to bring his son to a job interview, applying for a position at a large stock-brokers company in the city. Just as he arrives at the company’s parking lot, the son’s phone rings. He looks at his father who says “Go ahead, answer it.” The caller is the trading company’s CEO who says “Good luck son, you’ve got this!” The son ends the call and once again looks at his father, who is still next to him in the car. 

How is this possible?

Women Who Inspire Us

We would like to highlight some remarkable women in the sustainability and accessibility spaces who inspire us with their tenacity, dedication and achievements:

Jo Harvey 

Jo Harvey has made huge contributions to the community project Sustainable Wantage over the last 10 years. Just take a look at the website and you’ll see they have delivered: over 23,000 food parcels to 500 vulnerable families in the community, saved 165 tonnes of good food from landfill, and the repair cafe has rehomed 550 laptops and refurbished 50 bikes; though Jo is delivering impact faster than the website can be updated! She persists to remove unnecessary obstacles to build a better world.  

“The website cannot convey the challenges, struggles, and barriers Jo has overcome to put Sustainable Wantage on a secure footing.  Downloading those challenges has taken us up many a steep hill!  Jo drives the ethos and inspires the volunteer community to do what they can, when they can. My ask to those with influence and power is: when Jo comes to you for support, with an idea to strengthen a community’s or organisation’s resilience, be an ally! Remove those barriers for her, reduce the energy she needs to invest to succeed, and be an ally to all the other ‘Jo’s’ you come across.”  – Paul Adderley, BG Founder and Director

Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall’s work has included animal and environmental research, conservation, education and she has had a big impact on the world, leading with her compassion and love for nature and the planet. In 1994, Goodall founded the Lake Tanganyika Catchment Reforestation and Education (TACARE or “Take Care”) pilot project to protect chimpanzees’ habitat from deforestation by reforesting hills around Gombe, while simultaneously educating neighbouring communities on sustainability and agriculture training. The TACARE project also supports young girls by offering them access to reproductive health education and through scholarships to finance their college tuition. 

“My inspirational woman is Jane Goodall, she has worked on many projects in Africa, where I was born, so I have always felt connected to her. I developed an interest in conservation as a child running WWF conservation awareness groups and taking inspiration from people like her.”  – Sally, BG Business Development Specialist

Imani Barbarin 

Imani Barbarin is a disabled human rights activist who also delves into the intersections between being a woman, being disabled, and being black. Her work often involves unpicking the language and narratives used in politics, news, and general conversations, and how they justify or reinforce systemic oppression. 

Monica Bota-Moisin

Monica Bota-Moisin is an Intellectual Property Lawyer, and founder of the Intellectual Property Rights Initiative, which supports indigenous communities to protect their Traditional designs from being exploited in the fashion industry. Preserving these designs not only respects the intellectual property rights of indigenous peoples, but also helps protect and maintain their cultural identity, heritage, and economic autonomy.

Elizabeth Cripps

Elizabeth Cripps is an Edinburgh-based philosopher known for her insightful work on climate justice and ethical considerations related to environmental issues. She has become a leading voice in the field of climate ethics. In her book “What Climate Justice Means and Why We Should Care,” she explores the moral obligations that individuals and societies have in addressing climate change. Cripps combines meticulous philosophical analysis with a passionate commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Her work inspires and empowers individuals to take meaningful action towards a more just and sustainable future; encouraging critical engagement with environmental issues and the prioritisation of justice in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Martha Nussbaum 

Martha Nussbaum has made groundbreaking contributions in the world of philosophy, her ‘capabilities approach’ to human development advocates for a more nuanced understanding of flourishing, beyond only economic indicators. As an inspirational woman, Nussbaum has fearlessly tackled complex societal issues such as justice, equality and the role of emotions in ethical reasoning. Her advocacy for the rights of women, LGBT+ individuals and people with disabilities, has had a profound impact in both academics and public policy. Her commitment to social justice and compassion continues to inspire future generations to pursue philosophical inquiry.

In addition to these inspiring women we should remember that it’s not only women who are making an impact in the wider world who deserve recognition; but our female relatives, co-workers, friends, and other women that play key roles in our personal lives. Taking a moment to appreciate the hard work, dedication and joy they bring to their families and the people around them. 

The depth of understanding that women provide to other women in their lives, through shared experiences of gendered challenges and societal pressures, fosters solidarity; providing validation, nuanced advice, and emotional support in a world shaped by gender dynamics. Whether it’s through family, friendship, mentorship, or advocacy, this bond is a powerful force for empowerment, resilience and collective progress. 

Allies also play an important role in advancing gender equality. Their support and advocacy are essential in challenging patriarchal systems and dismantling harmful stereotypes and biases. By actively listening to women’s experiences, understanding their perspectives, and amplifying their voices, allies play a key role in contributing to more inclusive and fair spaces. Not only helping to raise awareness of women’s issues, but also fostering collaboration and solidarity in the pursuit of justice and empowerment for all.

Back to the Riddle

The answer:

The CEO is his mother.

This riddle is designed to reveal subconscious biases. A lot of people, ourselves included, did not successfully recognise the correct answer to this riddle. Even after all of our discussions about International Women’s Day, as a team filled with motivated, ambitious and driven women, we did not realise that his mother was the CEO! 

This riddle does a good job of revealing how deeply ingrained our own assumptions about gender roles are, even when trying to be aware and more conscious of these problems. As such, we’ll continue to challenge our own subconscious biases and assumptions. Maybe, if the answer to this riddle was a surprise to you, as it was to us, you will too. If you’d like to challenge your friends with this riddle, there’s a YouTube version of the riddle here that you can easily share.

Conclusion

In celebrating IWD, we’ve taken the time to acknowledge and reaffirm our commitment to building a world where women have equal opportunities to thrive. We have tackled many interesting and difficult conversations about the everyday challenges faced by women, and the social norms which enable these issues to persist. Our conversations have highlighted the importance of maintaining a space to discuss these barriers, to learn from one another, and raise awareness of the intersectionality within women’s experiences, so we can become better allies and recognise the assumptions we make about what we are capable of. 

Many of us will impose restrictions and limitations on what we can achieve due to internalised messages about our roles in society. Reflecting on these notions and challenging our own assumptions is key to unlocking our full potential. The only way to work towards a truly sustainable world is by collectively addressing our biases, focusing on promoting diversity and inclusion for all, at work and at home, and by recognising the value of what everyone experiences and has to contribute equally. 

Together, let’s continue to challenge norms, break down barriers, and work towards a future that is truly sustainable and inclusive for all.

Happy International Women’s Day!

The Beyond Green Team

Resources

We want to share some valuable resources with you if you are keen to learn more about IWD.