Our online 'conversation hub' is still going strong. We recently hosted our third online event, and we discussed how we can empower women to work from home with agency and without prejudice..
Here's a recap of what we discussed. You can also watch our highlights video on Youtube below.
The Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted women all over the world, both at home and at work.
At One Loud Voice for Women, we thought it was important to focus our next Conversation Hub topic on "working from home" - specifically, how employers, and employees, can actively work towards a professional environment that doesn't "brush under the carpet" issues of gender inequality.
What was once seen as the silver lining of the pandemic (working from home) has now become a way for employers & organisations to perhaps neglect and push aside important questions about equality, and progression for women in the workforce.
A number of different factors are at play here, however, here are some that we focused on considerably during our discussion:
(1) Childcare responsibilities
(2) Unpaid work
(3) Housework
(3) Attitudes towards women at work & at home
(4) The expectation for women to take on "caring responsibilities"
(5) Organisations focusing on re-building post-covid (D&I agenda pushed aside)
Likewise, we also discussed the fear that employees may have as the world begins to open up again.
Going forward, organisations may have to focus on finances, offices, locations, funding, and building up their workforce again.
Unfortunately, this may push the gender equality agenda further down the list of priorities.
So, how do we prevent this?
(1) Keep discussions alive
(2) Make yourself heard
(3) Know your rights
(4) Ask what your organisation is doing?
(5) Have conversations with colleagues
And finally, It’s our responsibility to continuously learn and make positive change.
Some key resources we think you will enjoy:
https://qz.com/work/713048/12-things-employers-can-do-to-improve-gender-equality-at-their-workplace/
Please leave us a comment with your thoughts below.