Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the generations of women who have proved invaluable to society. Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Madeleine Abright and Sonia Sotomayor are just a few of the names that come to mind… but I also think about women in the labor force. The unsung heroes without household names, who work miracles in their everyday lives balancing work and family commitments. I know I work alongside many of them, and you likely do too given these stats from the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau:
- 57% of women participate in the labor force
- 26% of people employed in computer and mathematical occupations are women
- 70% of women with children under 18 participate in the labor force
Many of our Member companies have developed outstanding programs to promote inclusion in the workplace. One example is Schlumberger’s “Stilettos to Steel Toes” initiative, which received a DirectEmployers Member Award. The program focuses on gender diversity and encourages female engineering students to consider non-traditional career paths.
Abbott was honored by Working Mother 100 Best Companies for workforce, compensation, childcare, flexibility programs and leave policies.
BNY Mellon was recognized on “The Top Companies for Women Technologists Leadership Index” published by the Anita Borg Institute. Telle Whitney, CEO at Anita Borg Institute stated, “BNY Mellon and all of the companies on the Top Companies Leadership Index have demonstrated a commitment to advancing women in technical roles and creating a culture where they can thrive.”
Kudos to all of the hard-working women in the labor force, and to the employers empowering women in the workplace. What other company initiatives have you seen around inclusion and women in the workplace? We’d love to learn and share more!
