On March 8, it’s International Women’s Day again. This is the day when we reflect on the fight for equal rights for women and girls around the world. At Rapid Circle, we stand behind this fight and want to pay extra attention to the role of women in the IT sector on this day.

As an IT company, we know that there is still a gender gap in the sector. Women are underrepresented and often face prejudice and discrimination. However, we believe that a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to the success of our company. That is why we are committed to equal opportunities for all employees.

Part of the ways we do this is by celebrating International Women’s Day extensively in every country in which we are located. We focus on the empowerment of women in IT. We are proud of the women who work at Rapid Circle and therefore want to put them in the spotlight on this day. Their contributions are invaluable to our company and we are pleased to be able to support and inspire them to fully exploit their potential. On this day, let us reflect on the progress we have made on gender equality and commit ourselves to a future where all women and girls have the same opportunities as men and boys.

EMBRACE EQUITY

This year, International Women’s Day is linked to the theme “Embrace Equity“.

But what do we actually mean by “equity”? The word equity can be understood in Dutch as equality or equality. The words equality and equality are often used interchangeably, but – despite the different similarities – they have two very different meanings. The International Women’s Day 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme aims to help spark a global conversation on this important topic and its impact.

So, what is the difference between “equality” and “equality”? And why is it important to understand, acknowledge and appreciate this? Let’s start with a basic definition of each word. Equality means that every individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equality recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates exactly the resources and opportunities needed to achieve an equal outcome.

When we embrace equality, we embrace diversity and inclusion. We embrace equality to create harmony and unity and to help promote success for all. Equality is the end and equality is the means to that end. It can be defined as “giving everyone what they need to be successful.” In other words, don’t give everyone exactly the same. If we give everyone exactly the same, expecting that to make people equal, we assume that everyone started in the same place and that can be very inaccurate, because not everyone is the same.

ULTIMATE INDULGENCE AT RAPID CIRCLE NETHERLANDS

As every year, International Women’s Day will be celebrated at Rapid Circle Netherlands. This year, on March 8, a delicious breakfast and an extensive lunch will be provided at the office for all women of Rapid Circle Netherlands. Furthermore, all women get the opportunity to sign up for a chair massage and we end the day with inspiration from Sabine Meulenbeld. Sabine is a psychosocial entrepreneur and likes to contribute to creating the space needed to stay connected to the exciting themes. Through training, coaching and events, she is committed to a world in which every individual can develop with pleasure and individuality, regardless of culture, gender, history or beliefs.

“Gender equality is still not a given. And contrary to what many people think; The Netherlands scores poorly on the gender balance index compared to other European countries. What underlies this inequality is gender bias. These are unwanted, unintentional but above all unconscious assumptions that we have in our brain. It is therefore very important to bring these biases to the surface of our consciousness so that we can dismantle them. That’s exactly what we’re going to do after lunch. Through small exercises we become aware of gender bias and we pave a way to an inclusive, appreciative and safe working environment.” – Sabine Meulenbeld

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION AT RAPID CIRCLE AUSTRALIA

In Australia, International Women’s Day will be celebrated very extensively. The Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne regions (as well as the regions of our Australian Rapid Circle offices) will host external events dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. At Rapid Circle Australia, every woman, and every colleague who identifies as a woman, gets the chance to go to these events if they want to.

In addition to the themes of diversity, equality and inclusion, there are also events about women in tech and women in business. In addition, there will be a charity event where speaker, lawyer, former refugee and human rights activist Nyadol Nyuon will share her experiences. Below is an overview of the different events in Australia:

Brisbane
– IWD Power Panel Luncheon 2023

Melbourne
– AusIMM

Perth
– Embrace Equity in Education & Employment

RAPID CIRCLE INDIA TALKS: WOMEN IN TECH

In honor of International Women’s Day, Rapid Circle India organises exclusive RC Talks with a number of women from Rapid Circle India. The online event “RC Talks: Women in Tech” is a panel consisting of three leading women from Rapid Circle India, namely Shweta Yadkikar from the Azure/DevOps team, Pooja Godse from the Q&A/Scrum team and Madhuri Kudekar with leadership and project management as a specialty. During this event, the three female pioneers will tell more about their insights and how they have been able to excel in their fields at Rapid Circle over the years. Do you want to attend the session? You can sign up here.