FEATURE
28
A
WOMAN'S
RIGHT
If we are to achieve true gender parity and not
just pay it lip service, then we all need to
question our assumptions and work on our own
unconscious bias. But first, we need to understand
what that is. Dr Kimberly Fitzgerald, Chartered
Psychologist, looks at how the landscape is
changing and what we can all do to help.
S
hirley Chisholm was the first African American congress-
woman, and was the first woman in the United States to
run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
One of her famous quotes is: “The emotional sexual, and
psychological stereotyping of females begins when the
doctor says, ‘It’s a girl’.”
International Women's Day was initiated in 1910 and this
year takes place on March 8th. It is a global day celebrating
the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of
women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating
gender parity.
Many things have occurred in the first few months of 2018 to put the topic of
gender disparity in the news. On January 1st, Iceland brought in a new law to
enforce equal pay between genders. In Iceland, it is now illegal to pay men more
than women. Under this new legislation (announced on International Women’s
Day 2017), companies that employ more than 25 people are obliged to obtain a
certificate from the government to demonstrate pay equality (or face fines). A
small country with a population of under 350,000 has made a very strong state-
ment about the gender pay gap. February 6th of this year marked the centenary
of women’s right to vote in Ireland. Although this was limited to women over
30 with property rights or a university education, it was a start for Irish women’s
rights. Sexual harassment in Hollywood was brought into focus with the Harvey
Weinstein scandal, initiating the Me Too campaign which will not go away any
time soon. Oprah Winfrey’s powerful Golden Globe speech further highlighted
the current and future needs for women of all ages and will have a long lasting
impact for years to come.
The McKinsey & Company Women in the Workplace study (2017) collected data
from over 70,000 employees across more than 222 companies. The study identi-
Issue 5 • March 2018 • The Insider
Issue 5 • March 2018 • The Insider
29