At Stryker, we are proud of the work we are doing to advance women in the workplace. March is Women’s History Month, an annual celebration that highlights the contributions of women throughout history.
We asked some of our employees how they plan to celebrate, educate themselves and continue to push for gender equality—both inside and outside of work.
Here are six ways to celebrate Women’s History Month
1. Join or start a Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG)
If your workplace has an ERG that promotes the advancement of women, such as Stryker’s Women’s Network or Women in Science and Engineering, now is a great time to consider joining. At Stryker, our ERGs are made up of employees whose mission is to attract, develop, and retain talented women by offering networking, professional development, community outreach, and educational projects opportunities to help further their careers.
If your workplace doesn’t have an ERG for women, Women’s History Month is a great time to work on creating one.
2. Support women-owned entrepreneurs/businesses
According to McKinsey & Company, the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally impacted women in the workplace globally, erasing decades of gender-gap narrowing. Women dropped out of the workforce to care for family members at a much higher rate than men. By supporting women-owned businesses you’re helping empower women, close the gender gap, and create additional jobs and opportunities for our communities.
3. Educate yourself
One way to celebrate the progress toward gender equality is to educate yourself on the history of women’s rights, as well as current events impacting women. Ideas include:
Joining or starting a book club with a focus on women authors
Listening to TED talks that focus on women’s issues
Attend or host a workshop on gender-based language
Attend an event focused on the advancement of women
4. Support a women’s nonprofit organization
Another excellent way to celebrate Women’s History Month is to support a women’s nonprofit organization. Support can come in many ways; you could volunteer, donate, or host a drive.
One idea to get you started is to contact a local women’s shelter and see what they need, then place a box at your workplace and collect items throughout March to donate.
5. Celebrate the women in your life
The best way to honor the women in our lives is to celebrate them! Get together with your friends and colleagues and have fun. For example, you could host a game night focused on fun facts from women’s history, sign up for a run that benefits an organization that supports women, celebrate women on your social media accounts, send thank you notes to women who’ve had a positive impact on you, and the list goes on.
6. Keep it up!
Society has come a long way in closing the gender gap, but we’re not done! Continue to amplify the voices of women in your lives by taking items from this list and implementing them throughout the year. Remember, when we lift one another up, we all rise.
Ready to join our team?
Check out our current job openings and apply today!