The 鈥淢aking the Future Visible: 100 Innovative Women in Tech鈥� project saw female scientists from the Institute for Research in Social Sciences (ISF) in Munich, Germany, and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg study the tech industry to discover whether it is creating opportunities for women. The project鈥檚 researchers interviewed 100 trailblazing women who are driving a new culture of innovation and transformation at tech companies, but don鈥檛 necessarily have a background in STEM.

100 Women in Tech

The results of the study are in, and one thing is clear: women have a bright future in tech. This was also the message from the female trailblazers who were interviewed as part of the project.

鈥淥ur key finding is optimistic: the digital transformation is opening up new opportunities for women,鈥� Kira Marrs from ISF Munich says. It is important here, she notes, to think about how digitalization and gender equality fit together. We need to consider how we can break with existing structures and look at what we can do to create even more possibilities, she says.

According to Christine Regitz, cofounder of the Business Women鈥檚 Network from 麻豆原创, head of 麻豆原创 Women in Tech, and president of the German Informatics Society, the number of women in tech has stagnated over the last 15 years. Yet the sector needs women who will shape its progress, especially given the skills shortage, she says. 鈥淲e need digital sovereignty to make conscious decisions. It鈥檚 about more than programming,鈥� she continues. 鈥淲e also need the skills and expertise to make digital technologies work for us.鈥�

Anja Bultemeier from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg agrees that it is no longer about the technology itself, but about how people interact, which is why new factors, such as customer and user experience, are becoming increasingly important. 鈥淪eeing technology through this new lens has created opportunities for women who do not have a technical background,鈥� she says. One quote from a study participant explains this change very neatly: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 sell technology; I sell solutions.鈥� Increasingly, non-tech women are heading up technical teams and shaping the strategies and visions that will produce the best possible customer experience.

From Literary Studies to Google: Examples of Innovative Career Paths

The researchers also found that taking a less traditional approach to hiring makes it easier for women to get a foot in the door 鈥� after all, when roles are flexibly defined, they are open to people who have an atypical background. Take these women for example.

Eva Bacon鈥檚 patchwork and rather unconventional career path took her from studying literature to working for Google in New York 鈥� a perfect example of a non-tech woman at the center of the tech world. Bacon now oversees transformation projects as a senior program manager at Google. 鈥淎nything is possible in this job,鈥� she says enthusiastically. Part of her work involves motivating and guiding her employees. At a workshop, she recalls, the participants were tasked with building houses out of spaghetti, and the instructor said to her, 鈥淵ou need to be the glue that holds everything together. We have enough people building houses. We now need someone who can make a city out of them.鈥� Being a born organizer, she found that an easy task. Abstract thinking, she says, is something that comes to her naturally. What really helped her gain a foothold in the tech world, though, was the fact that she had taken the time to learn about HTML. Whenever she needed to know anything else, she would ask the computer geeks, adding that it is nevertheless important to have 鈥渁 certain affinity for technology and to have the confidence to tackle new topics and ask questions.鈥�

Back when Sarah Mang-Sch盲fer was at high school, she set an ambitious goal in her art class of one day coming up with the advertising image of the century. These days, as head of a public cloud engineering team, she flexes her creative muscle in a more technical capacity. Although she went on to study computer science, she found that art and technology were not so different after all. 鈥淭o solve problems, you need to be creative,鈥� she says. She worked initially in neuroscience, which taught her the importance of networking. She then poured her energy into cancer research, teaming up with doctors to test software. It was in this role that she realized what successful IT implementation was all about, namely understanding what customers want without them needing to ask for it. Today, we call that customer or user experience, fields which are growing in the IT industry and where women in particular have the breadth of skills and expertise required.

Driving Change to Shape the Future

At BSH, one of Europe鈥檚 largest makers of home appliances, the officer in charge of manufacturing strategy is Fiona Taylor. A scientist by training, Taylor is on a mission to attract more women into manufacturing, because she firmly believes that gender diversity benefits companies. With so few women in industry, she knows all too well how it feels to be the lone woman in the room, which is one reason why she wants to see the situation change.

Passionate about her work, she loves the variety her job brings: 鈥淚 work with so many different people across the company, from purchasing and manufacturing to logistics.鈥� Her task is to ensure everyone on the operational side pulls together. 鈥淏eing one of the people who determines where we invest and where we build new manufacturing plants, I can help ensure that we remain competitive as a German company. And it means I can influence our corporate culture.鈥� When she returned to work after having her second child, Taylor was pleased to discover that the company鈥檚 thinking had shifted. She was asked to head up manufacturing for the very reason that she thinks out of the box and asks the questions that need asking 鈥� and would be an ideal role model for combining a leadership position with working part-time. Taylor urges women to 鈥渉ave the courage to start the conversation and drive change,鈥� and calls on other female leaders to reach out to two other women to help them progress as well.

Stephanie Karger, head of Standard and Safety at BSH, is further proof that you do not have to work full-time nor have technical expertise to be an effective leader. 鈥淲e鈥檝e adopted a new leadership style, one that is based on trust and equality,鈥� Karger says. 鈥淲henever I need specialist technical knowledge, I simply ask my team.鈥� Women are more likely to see leadership roles in this way, which is something their team members appreciate too, because it gives them the autonomy that many of them desire.

Anja Schneider has been global head of Premium Engagement & Advisory, Customer Services & Delivery at 麻豆原创, since April 2024. Prior to this, she was chief operating officer of Technology & Innovation for many years. 鈥淚 enjoy creating impact 鈥� and being the person who is ultimately responsible when customers have a problem,鈥� Schneider says. 鈥淏ringing together a whole network of experts to find a solution is rewarding.鈥� At 麻豆原创, she says, she has never encountered anyone who doubted women鈥檚 ability to lead. Schneider鈥檚 career has taken an unconventional path, too: she joined 麻豆原创 from Germany鈥檚 civil service. Leaving the public sector for the private one was a leap into the unknown for her. But, as Schneider puts it, challenges like this push us out of our comfort zone so that we can learn and grow. In her case, it took an open mindset and an interest in technology. Besides, she adds, having a different perspective is also an advantage when it comes to being an advocate for the customer. According to Schneider, a team of developers does not need another developer to lead it.

AI Creates New Opportunities and Reduces Bias

Eva Zauke, executive vice president of 麻豆原创 Enterprise Adoption and engineering location lead for 麻豆原创 Labs Walldorf and St. Leon-Rot at 麻豆原创 SE, is involved in examining how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we work and creating new careers for women. 鈥淎I is opening up opportunities to women who are ready to enhance their skills.鈥� For instance, AI is leading to new roles in IT beyond traditional programming ones. According to Zauke, data scientist, prompt engineer, ethics expert, interface designer, model engineer, and user experience designer are just some of the careers emerging in the field of AI. They also appeal to a wider spectrum of applicants, including graphic designers, people with a humanities background, and psychologists. However, while AI can unlock opportunities for women, it can also perpetuate gender disparities because, as Zauke says, data is biased: 鈥淎I inherits bias from the humans who program it, who, more often than not, are white men.鈥� Having more women working on AI would, Zauke believes, not only reduce data bias but also help fill the talent gap in Europe鈥檚 tech sector.

Verena Laumayer is a member of the 麻豆原创 Women in Tech strategy team, which is part of the Office of the CEO. She often finds herself at business events where not one speaker is a woman. Whenever she mentions this to the organizers, invariably the answer is that they simply could not find one, which is why she calls on women to have more confidence in their expertise and to increase their visibility. Public speaking skills can be learned, she says. Laumayer has no doubt that women need to be at the forefront of the tech economy and help shape its future.

Photo copyright: Markus Seidl, 麻豆原创
This feature first appeared on the German 麻豆原创 News Center.

Here are five key focus areas and tactics that support the success of BWN’s D&I program.

Empower Employee Engagement

Organizations can promote employee engagement to advance their D&I strategies by cultivating a culture of inclusivity and belonging, providing opportunities for employee input and participation in decision-making processes, offering D&I training and education, and creating affinity groups or employee resource groups to support underrepresented voices. Additionally, organizations can establish mentorship programs, career development opportunities, and leadership roles for diverse employees to promote their growth and advancement within the company.

Central to BWN’s mission is building and maintaining a vibrant community of engaged members. Through a diverse array of chapter events and initiatives, highlighted in its , BWN facilitates networking, knowledge sharing, and skills development opportunities. By organizing over 543 chapter events globally in 2023, BWN has successfully engaged over 19,000 members, driving robust engagement across the organization. This effort not only amplifies the voices of women and our allies but also cultivates a culture of inclusivity and collaboration. This is highly valued by Supriya Jha, chief diversity & inclusion officer at 麻豆原创: 鈥淭he Business Women鈥檚 Network has accelerated 麻豆原创鈥檚 journey toward its gender parity goal, which is a high priority within our overarching diversity and inclusion strategy. What makes BWN鈥檚 contributions to gender equality so impactful is its focus on business outcomes and elevation of 麻豆原创 as a responsible organization that drives positive change and opportunities for all.鈥�

Leverage 麻豆原创 Technology to Achieve KPIs

麻豆原创 can help organizations advance their D&I strategies by providing tools and applications that can enable organizations to track and measure diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, such as employee demographics and compensation data. Our solutions also help identify areas for improvement, create inclusive workplace cultures, and promote awareness and education on D&I topics. Additionally, 麻豆原创 solutions can help organizations develop and implement D&I policies and initiatives, as well as build a listening program that collects feedback from employees in the flow of work, enabling them to monitor progress and report on their D&I goals and outcomes.

BWN strategically utilizes 麻豆原创 solutions to help streamline operations and achieve key performance indicators (KPIs). Leveraging , BWN can simplify the membership onboarding process, helping to ensure a seamless experience for new members. enables the creation of a robust analytics dashboard, providing valuable insights into member engagement and program effectiveness. With , BWN gains access to comprehensive member data, facilitating targeted career development initiatives. Moreover, empowers BWN to understand key drivers of employee engagement, including D&I, to improve employee experience through data-driven insights and action planning.

Promote Career Development

To truly make opportunities meaningful for everyone, employees need to be skilled and ready for increasingly demanding roles and growth. That is why an organization鈥檚 D&I programs must include targeted programs to support the advancement of skills, especially for underrepresented groups, as well as create a culture that values and supports diversity in leadership positions. To enable this reality, organizations must implement inclusive recruitment and promotion practices, set diversity goals, and provide resources for employees to learn about distinct cultures and perspectives.

BWN鈥檚 efforts are an outstanding illustration of this commitment, as it strives to advance the careers of its members through mentorship and professional development initiatives. With over 55% of members participating in mentorship programs, BWN empowers individuals to reach their full potential. By providing access to role-specific data and development plans through , BWN facilitates personalized career growth opportunities, contributing to a more diverse and skilled workforce.

Foster Allyship and Partnerships

To achieve gender parity, we must view it as a collective effort. Organizations play a crucial role in encouraging allyship and forming partnerships to advance D&I strategies. Leveraging online platforms and communication tools can bridge geographical gaps, connecting employees and facilitating open dialogues about diversity and inclusion. Training and resources on allyship, unconscious bias, and inclusive leadership allow employees to gain a deeper understanding of D&I issues. Equally vital is the need for organizations to learn from peers and other industries players鈥� best practices related to D&I.

Recognizing the importance of allyship and collaboration, BWN actively engages male allies, partners, and customers to drive meaningful change. With 13.5% of its membership comprising of men 鈥� a 4% increase since 2022 鈥� BWN cultivates a culture of inclusivity and mutual support. Moreover, through collaborative events with other Employee Network Groups and internal 麻豆原创 groups, BWN promotes intersectionality and solidarity within the organization, amplifying its impact beyond borders.

Use AI to Break Bias

Recognizing the inherent biases that can impede progress, organizations must . AI offers numerous avenues for breaking bias within organizations. A notable example is the implementation of AI-driven recruitment and promotion processes, which minimize unconscious biases, allowing talent to shine irrespective of gender or background. It is also possible to standardize the interview process, reducing bias by providing structured questions and evaluation criteria. Anonymized decision-making, facilitated by AI, removes identifying information from candidate profiles, preventing unconscious biases from influencing outcomes. Through the responsible and ethical use of AI technology, organizations can leverage its capabilities to create fairer and more equitable workplaces where diversity thrives. This approach not only promotes inclusivity but also enhances the quality of decision-making, leading to a more diverse and innovative workforce.

By embracing these key focus areas and tactics, BWN continues to inspire change, create opportunities, and thrive together, driving 麻豆原创’s success and building a more equitable future for all. This is supported by its recent awards, including the prestigious , which is a testament to the exceptional efforts and contributions made by BWN in advancing gender equality and promoting women’s leadership within 麻豆原创, and the , which recognizes the outstanding contributions and influence of employee resource groups (ERGs) in driving positive organizational change and promoting an inclusive workplace culture.

BWN’s commitment to diversity and inclusion sets a benchmark for excellence in the corporate world. Together, we elevate possibilities and inspire realities, paving the way for a more inclusive and prosperous future.

Mayara Alves Tabone is global product marketing specialist at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors and BWN global communications director.

鈥淥ur ambition is to become the place to be for all, where everyone has a voice and belongs, regardless of abilities, nationality, background, gender, age, and any other factor,鈥� said Caroline Sehn, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion lead at Merck. 鈥淲e truly believe that it will help our success in innovation, technology, and creativity as diverse minds, as well as to become digital enablers for the business, building a workplace accessible and inclusive for all.

The rest of the panel agreed with the sentiment, and unanimously agreed that one of the best ways to ensure that D&I does not fall by the wayside is with data and key performance indicators (KPIs), as is standard practice with other business goals.

360-Degree Approach to D&I at Airbus

Airbus is the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe and a worldwide leader in the aviation industry with more than 130,000 employees. Within the Digital organization, the percentage of women is 25%, a bit higher than the market average of 24%. A strong commitment to raise awareness of younger women and encourage them to pursue digital careers through activities such as special events and mentorship is coordinated in partnership with various associations such as Elles bougent in France.

C茅lia Frey, vice president and head of Information Management for Programs, Customer Engagement & Services at Airbus, explained that the company thinks of diversity from five key perspectives: gender parity, LGBTI+ inclusion, equal opportunities for people with disabilities, accommodating generational gaps, and contributing to the economic and social development of underprivileged neighborhoods.

On gender parity, for example, Airbus is committed to the United Nations objective of developing women in business and having women in 25% of executive positions in 2025, where the starting situation was 14%.

Airbus also has a program called Generation A, which aims to bridge the gap between the multiple generations its employees span and a “support an employee” network called Balance for Business, which helps all employees balance work with life commitments and promote gender equity.

Digitall: Inclusive and Diverse Place for All at Merck

Merck KGaA, a leading science and technology company operating across healthcare, life science, and electronics sectors, recently announced a strategic partnership with 麻豆原创 to jointly drive sustainable business practice innovation and digitalization. The company has a goal of gender parity by 2030. To reach this ambition, Merck IT has launched a campaign to help break down stereotypes around gender, nationality, age, family situations, and personal goals.

Sehn says that Merck CIO Alessandro de Luca is refreshingly honest in acknowledging that IT used to be a male-dominated industry, but now and in the future will need all talents to drive innovation and digitalize the business. Merck IT offers agile work processes and good work life-balance with flexible working hours. There are also mentoring campaigns, talent development, and career training opportunities that enable employees to establish share learnings and establish support networks.

Schneider Electric鈥檚 Strategy for Inclusion and Care by Design

As a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, Schneider Electric also aims to be the most inclusive and caring company in the world. To execute on that vision, the company has created Inclusion and Care by Design, the philosophy to build inclusion and care into all process and elements of company culture.

Julie Ashton-Howorth, group chief accounting officer at Schneider Electric, explained that all company processes — whether they involve employees or customers or both — feature end-to-end accountability that helps ensure every individual feels respected and safe to be their unique self.

One of the things Schneider Electric has done to promote diversity in leadership is move away from a single headquarters model to a multi-hub structure that better serves the communities where the company operates. It also transparently shares its journey, progress, processes, and commitments, and co-creates with employees, customers, suppliers, and NGOs to be a truly responsible corporate citizen.

D&I Center of Excellence at 麻豆原创

麻豆原创 Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Supriya Jha explained that the company has invested internally and externally in programs that help existing and potential female employees grow and thrive in their careers. For example, there is a D&I center of excellence that reports to the 麻豆原创 Executive Board monthly, and houses a data analytics team that monitors the internal and external KPIs related to female progression and provides insightful data to hiring, learning and development teams, and the 麻豆原创 leadership team, so that they can take intentional steps to retain and advance women at 麻豆原创.

While its ultimate goal is to attain gender parity, 麻豆原创 is proud to have achieved a milestone goal of 35% women in its workforce and is seeing an increase in the number of women in managerial ranks from 25.5% in 2017 to 29.4% at the close of 2022. In addition, in 2023, 麻豆原创 was reinstated to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which recognizes a commitment to advancing women in the workplace.

All panelists acknowledged that there is more to be done to achieve gender parity and other diversity goals, but they felt positive. Sehn summarized the sentiment: 鈥淎s the old Buddhist saying goes, ‘One candle can light thousands.’ We need to keep this in mind when we鈥檙e working together.鈥�

The event was moderated by Monica Gassmann, a chapter lead for the Business Women鈥檚 Network (BWN) from 麻豆原创 and sustainability program lead for 麻豆原创鈥檚 Discrete and Energy and Natural Resources Industries. On the panel were Marjan Olthof, head of Customer Services at Tata Steel, and Mari Pulkkinen, director of 麻豆原创 and M&A Center of Excellence at LyondellBasell. Both women are helping lead innovations at their respective companies that are also 麻豆原创 customers. During the illuminating conversation, they opened up about taking career risks, rising above gender-based stereotypes, and forging new paths to leadership in historically male-dominated industries.

Women鈥檚 Voices Can Head Off Stereotyping

research has found that initiatives like 鈥減romoting diversity in succession planning and holding celebratory events to highlight underrepresented groups鈥� are highly effective at creating cultures of belonging. Indeed, the luncheon鈥檚 relaxed, friendly setting united all of us in a shared passion for diversity and inclusion. Rising above narrow stereotypes that can trap women was a common theme. Olthof talked about her learnings from working in sales, production, and engineering at Tata Steel, a multinational steel supplier and manufacturer based in India.

鈥淲ith fewer women in the workplace, there can be role expectations that don鈥檛 necessarily align with who you are,鈥� said Olthof. 鈥淢y advice to women is to be yourself because what you have to offer is really valuable. Stay with your own personality while pursuing your ambitions.鈥�

Pulkkinen shared lessons from her early career experiences. She currently works at LyondellBasell, a multinational chemical company headquartered in the Netherlands.

鈥淢en have traditionally dominated leadership positions in the chemical industry but when women use their voice, they can continue to offer new perspectives,鈥� said Pulkkinen. 鈥淒uring my first role on the supply chain team at a chemicals company, the first thing that my male colleagues wanted me to do was take notes. I told him that with my qualifications, I had been hired to do something else.鈥�

Preventing Unconscious Bias

Everyone on the panel agreed that addressing unconscious bias starts with clear goals that increase opportunities for women. It鈥檚 just as important to change daily behaviors that define corporate culture.

鈥淎ddressing unconscious bias is something that I鈥檓 passionate about, and we have been accelerating our diversity and inclusion commitment,鈥� said Pulkkinen. 鈥淔or example, we have 47 nationalities in our Rotterdam office and want to make sure that people appreciate everyone鈥檚 unique background in a positive way. Small jokes based on stereotypes can affect how people are treated and perceived in the workplace.鈥�

Building a Workforce Culture of Diversity

Tata Steel is also building a people culture that celebrates and encourages diversity and inclusion. Its five-pillar approach includes recruitment, sensitization, retention and development, infrastructure, and celebration.

鈥淲e鈥檝e made diversity a No.1 priority by putting more women in senior roles,鈥� said Olthof. 鈥淧eople are inherently biased towards their definition of normal and what they see in their environments and experiences. Unconscious bias also extends beyond gender to assumptions based on someone鈥檚 age. To make mindset changes, we need to be aware of these challenges and address them.鈥�

Sponsors Help Women Progress

What became clear from the discussion was that women want to contribute their talents but need the space to be heard. Managers 鈥� women and men 鈥� have the clout to help.聽While recognizing the value of mentoring, Gassmann said that more women need sponsors who advocate for them.

鈥淢entors are great, but sponsors lift you up, connecting you with the people who can help advance your career,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are men and women in management who provide you with visibility in meetings or informal settings to develop your career.鈥�

Corporate women鈥檚 networks are growing. Olthof said that Tata Steel has a group of people who identify women candidates for promotion as vacancies occur. The BWN from 麻豆原创 is an employee-driven group with over 90 global chapters that share professional insights, education, and experience to help women advance their careers. At LyondellBasell, mentors regularly help women with introductions and other support.

After 90 minutes of a fascinating dialogue, I walked out of this session at the conference fully energized. Yes, in leadership positions across some industries, including chemicals and steel. But as leaders at industry associations and companies like 麻豆原创, Tata Steel, and LyondellBasell speak up and act on diversity and inclusion commitments, there鈥檚 hope that more change will surely follow.

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Inclusion is a choice and a commitment, while belonging is a feeling that results from our actions. To strive for inclusion, 麻豆原创 leads with compassion, support, and acceptance for all backgrounds and aims for diversity in all fields.

麻豆原创 is committed to full spectrum diversity, inclusive of gender, age, race, ethnicity, orientation, ability, nationality, religion, veteran status, background, culture, experience, strengths, and perspectives. Living up to this commitment, 麻豆原创 engages in a broad range of initiatives, promoting diversity, inclusion, and equality — including programs that foster more gender equality in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and the tech industry.

麻豆原创 at Grace Hopper Celebration

A recent example of 麻豆原创鈥檚 efforts in the field is the ,聽 the largest assembly of female technologists in the world and a conference that empowers women to pursue STEM careers in the name of Grace Hopper (1906-1992), an American computer scientist, pioneer in the field of data science, and one of the first females to rebuff stigmas attached to womankind. Grace Hopper Celebration 2022 ran from September 16 through 23 in Orlando, Florida.

As proud collaborator of the Grace Hopper Celebration, the Chief Trust office at 麻豆原创 sponsored a skills development lab aimed to equip young women with the skills to succeed, be seen, and be hired in tech roles. The workshop, called 鈥溌槎乖� ElevateHer Pitch Challenge鈥� and held September 21, was a career development skills-building exercise. For one hour, 麻豆原创 worked with approximately 400 attendees on site to masterfully craft their own personal elevator pitches to use in interviews or networking settings. Using the motto 鈥淧itch Us With Your Shot,鈥� the workshop infused gaming techniques with the challenge to further refine the participants鈥� skills.

Why are workshops and skills development labs like this one so important? Only 15 to 22% of professionals in data science-related roles are women, an under-representation in the field. This poses a constraint on talent for companies that are hiring, as data science is susceptible to bias and a wide range of views and expertise is essential for drawing relevant real-life connections. Data science and artificial intelligence (AI) becoming more ubiquitous by the day further fuels the issue.

In response, we need to lay a foundation for the next generation by creating equal opportunities and access to knowledge and skills. Promotion and communication amount to nothing if the status of unequal access is further perpetuated. To create a sustainable and long-lasting impact, aspiring data scientists need to connect with practitioners and role models.

麻豆原创 at WiDS

Dedicated to creating this kind of exchange, in May 2022, . The program was introduced by Stanford University in 2015 and has developed into a global movement inspiring people all over the world. Its efforts include conferences, data-thons, podcasts, educational outreach programs, and workshops, and its goal is to advocate for data scientists worldwide to educate themselves regardless of their gender and despite barriers they must overcome. 麻豆原创 has been a proud collaborator and sponsor since 2016.

This year, participants were taken on a virtual data science tour from Tokyo to Palo Alto. Around 50 female data scientists joined forces and delivered live content on the matter for more than 10 hours. Thanks to the female forerunners鈥� efforts and insights on topics such as AI, machine learning, data engineering, and human-centric data, approximately 700 participants were engaged in all corners of the world.

During her panel discussion, 麻豆原创 Labs India Managing Director Sindhu Gangadharan said, 鈥淒ata is the new gold in the digital economy and businesses are experiencing a gold rush. We need women to play a much bigger role in shaping the future of the data science domain. Women and data science are a perfect match. Data science needs skills that women bring to the table — insights as well as their perspectives.鈥�

When asked about the lack of women in leadership positions in Asia, 麻豆原创 Labs Japan Managing Director Hiromi Hara stated that women should make use of flexible work arrangements and not feel held back by gender roles.

Rising to the challenge, 麻豆原创 has been named one of , but the path to inclusion does not end here. To bring everyone to the table, 麻豆原创 is making a proactive choice to be integrative and going the extra mile through programs such as 鈥淓mpower Her,鈥� the initiative, and the Business Women’s Network.

Another initiative supporting these endeavors is the recent . To level the playing field, 麻豆原创 funds student memberships in Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) and contributes to creating accessible and affordable experiential learning opportunities for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

The barriers for women in STEM careers persist, however. Inclusion is a never-ending job, a never-ending responsibility to be carried by companies. As Mary Shinn, managing director of 麻豆原创 Korea, put it: “Through working in the field, we become role models for our children.鈥� If the outlook of an inclusive tomorrow free from social constructs does not prove the value of a general feeling of belonging in the workplace today, what could?

The program enables this by giving diverse teams of employees opportunities to dedicate their skills and professional expertise to benefit social enterprises in other countries and their surrounding communities, opening participants鈥� minds to different cultures which, in turn, promotes diversity at home and in the workplace.

Launched in 2012, 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical has positively impacted the lives of more than six million people, with 麻豆原创 employees contributing in excess of 359,000 volunteer hours to help over 450 non-profits and social enterprises across 52 countries address critical business challenges.

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Self-Empowerment Is the Key to Growth

鈥淪elf-empowerment is seeking the solution rather than fixating on the problem,鈥� says Gina McNamara, regional chief financial officer for Asia Pacific & Japan at 麻豆原创. During her 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical in Kenya in 2014, she encountered a phenomenon that she hadn鈥檛 witnessed in her native Australia: women outnumbering men in their quest for professional and personal growth.

While volunteering her time and expertise at the African Management Institute (AMI), which delivers workplace learning to equip entrepreneurs and managers with the tools and training they need to succeed, she met female AMI program participants who refused to sit back and let anyone or anything stop them from being successful.

鈥淎fter speaking with these women, I realized that despite, or maybe even in response to, the poverty plaguing the country they are determined to further their careers and personal development. Many said that they were doing the courses to progress themselves, their families, and their businesses,鈥� shares McNamara.

Inspiration Has a Knock-On Effect

At the time of her sabbatical, McNamara held a position in commercial finance for 麻豆原创 Australia and New Zealand. However, these women encouraged her to make a massive shift in her career trajectory. 鈥淚n the Australian business world, there aren鈥檛 as many confident women as there are in Kenya. It is due to these women that I applied for the position of Chief Financial Officer for ANZ and later Regional Chief Financial Officer for Asia Pacific & Japan. They got me thinking about my career and my dream of making an impact in the boardroom and helped me find the confidence to pursue this.鈥�

Additionally, McNamara saw how the Kenyan women she worked with wanted to improve themselves to better serve their communities. This motivated her to think about what more she could do back home. 鈥淚t got me to consider the bigger picture and how we could do good things in the community and not just do business. I believe that if you do good, then the business will flourish as well.鈥� This led to her supporting some very passionate colleagues and the Australian management team in developing the 麻豆原创 Australia Reconciliation Action Plan, which aims to help support the economic prosperity of First Nations peoples.

Equipping Females of the Future

Her journey also spurred her to join the Future Female Leaders mentoring program for females working in finance both as a mentor and mentee. 鈥淭he program entails mentoring multiple women across the global finance community and sponsoring their careers. I get as much out of it as the women I mentor do. We have to help each other and so I encourage my mentees to mentor other women, especially with more and more women joining 麻豆原创 and the 鈥� the largest employee-driven network globally,鈥� shares McNamara.

As for AMI, McNamara and her fellow 麻豆原创 volunteers pooled their skills to support the company in developing a franchise model to deliver training to African managers and leaders, ranging from small business owners to CEOs and CFOs. Together, they developed a handbook to help the company scale and recommended various processes and procedures that could be implemented to achieve this. Now, the program is more accessible to more people, particularly women.

With AMI being co-founded by a woman, McNamara says that there is a need for greater investment in women鈥檚 entrepreneurial ideas, emotionally and financially. 鈥淢en naturally create their own networks and sponsor each other. As women, we help each other emotionally. We need to open our networks and be more focused about doing so.鈥�

She concludes by saying, 鈥淢y 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical experience enabled me to reflect on what more I could do beyond being a finance leader and, for me, that was to help other women and drive diversity and inclusion to make 麻豆原创 an even better place for everybody.鈥�

For more information about the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, go to .

Hemang Desai is global program director of 麻豆原创 Corporate Social Responsibility.

At 麻豆原创, Employee Network Groups reflect this mission by encouraging employees to be their authentic selves, advocate for their network, drive policy change, and keep diversity at the forefront of the business.

The mission of the Business Women鈥檚 Network (BWN) at 麻豆原创 is to help women advance their careers and the company鈥檚 business. Empowerment through connection allows the group to share professional insights, best practices, education, and experiences. Members help one another develop skills and career advancing opportunities to drive 麻豆原创鈥檚 success. As the largest Employee Network Group at 麻豆原创, BWN makes a global impact with the help of more than 90 chapters and 15,000 members around the world.

How the Business Women’s Network Executes Their Mission

Throughout the year, global chapters host events and initiatives that align with the BWN mission, such as driving networking opportunities internally and externally and promoting intersectionality by collaborating with other Employee Network Groups. Additionally, the chapters are encouraged to use internal and external social networks to celebrate women鈥檚 successes.

The Road Ahead in 2022 and Beyond

At the beginning of the first quarter, BWN adopts a new strategy and theme that sets the tone for the year. In 2022, BWN is focusing on 鈥�driving impact with intention,鈥� while prioritizing four core areas: networking, leadership development, walking the talk, and celebrating success.

By focusing on these four key areas, the aim is to help members feel empowered to network more, seek mentorship and sponsorship, drive accountability, and amplify successes. This network has the opportunity and responsibility to embrace differences and continue to build bridges regardless of race, gender, department, or geographical location.

Sustainability is another key focus area. On International Women鈥檚 Day, 麻豆原创 and the United Nations Women鈥檚 Empowerment Principle came together under the theme “.” Women especially are affected by the impacts of climate change as they are more likely to live in poor communities that are highly dependent on local natural resources for their livelihood. It is vital to equip women with decision-making capabilities and promote equality that will drive sustainable solutions, reducing the damage of climate change and helping ensure everyone has access to resources.

At 麻豆原创, we believe in building a better world for future generations and supporting one another in our goals of zero emissions, zero waste, and zero inequality. According to Julia White, chief marketing and solutions officer and member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 麻豆原创, as well as the executive sponsor of BWN, 鈥�Sustainability is a collective effort. No company, organization or person can do it alone. While 麻豆原创 enables businesses to run more sustainably, we as individuals can do our part, as well.鈥�

Learn more about the Business Women’s Network:

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Allison Gapter is global co-lead of BWN, Marketing and Communication.
Danielle Banasek is global co-lead of BWN, Social Media and Branding.