At Meet and Potato, we have several leading ladies working for the business so for this year’s IWD we asked them (and some of the men!) for their thoughts on IWD and what needs to be done to drive forward the theme of Inspiring Inclusion.
CEO, Jon Kelly is a huge supporter of the females in the business.
“What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than spotlighting the female talent within our agency? Women make up 62% of M&P and 2 of our 3 directors are women. I’m proud of our small team, we’re an interesting mix, diverse in age, sex, nationality, and background. We know our differences are our strengths, and we bring it all together to drive the business forward. It’s great to raise awareness of inequality and to inspire inclusion with IWD but for me, it’s not just for a day, it’s every day.”
Karen Clarkson, MD of Meet and Potato shares her thoughts.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day means a day to take stock of how far we’ve come, but more importantly how far we’ve got to go. There are a lot of people making empty promises for lengthy LinkedIn statuses, but what we should be doing is using the day to pledge how we’re going to actively make a difference to the year ahead and holding our business community accountable for this throughout the year.
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
It’s important to shine a light on inequality and biases of any sort, whether that be gender, race, sexuality, age or people with disabilities for example. Inclusion in the workplace is paramount to this and will inspire the next generation.
I urge businesses to take a look at their teams including leadership teams and ask if their businesses are representative. This is from all communities and diversities, but for the theme of IWD, do women in your business have a voice and are they in an environment where they feel they can use it? And if not, then why?
Jo Prosser, Creative Director at Meet and Potato, added:
We need to create psychologically safe spaces where everyone feels comfortable and confident to speak up and speak out. Women in senior roles have an important responsibility to nurture younger generations rising through the ranks. We need to celebrate their talents and build their confidence by giving them opportunities to succeed. It’s important to foster diversity, including multi-generational teams, we have so much to learn from each other. Youth and wisdom together will conquer all.
Over to Sophie Greatbanks, Senior Event Producer.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
IWD for me is an opportunity to reflect and appreciate, not only the women who make strides and influence you in your day-to-day life but also an occasion to remember those women throughout history who have managed to create the opportunities now readily available to modern women. That’s not to say that there still aren’t areas for improvement or that we shouldn’t be appreciated every day, but it’s a moment in our busy lives to reflect. I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by strong women who have constantly pushed the realms of what I’ve deemed possible and achievable in both a personal and professional capacity. Helping to guide and teach rather than hinder with old school connotations of what should be “pink jobs”, the women I have surrounded myself with have helped shape, but also celebrated, my achievements. With women like that in your life, anything is possible!
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
It’s important to inspire inclusion to those around you, but also to future generations to make sure women’s momentum in society doesn’t stagnate. Women have already broken the glass ceiling that tried to determine what their traditional roles and responsibilities were (and continue to do so). It’s important to make sure the future is surrounded by allies saying “why shouldn’t you?!” rather than trying to stifle what women bring to the table.
Now to Niki Toth, Content Coordinator:
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
To me, IWD is about celebrating women not only historically and globally, but also those women close to me. I am surrounded by a network of strong, empowering women within my family, among my friends, and in my workplace. I look to them for guidance when facing challenges. To me, these women are the embodiments of resilience, determination, and strength.
IWD also means we can put extra emphasis on raising awareness about gender-based issues, such as violence and (even verbal) harassment, discrimination, or unequal pay. It’s a day to shine a spotlight on the challenges that women face worldwide simply because of their gender.
Why is it so important to Inspire Inclusion?
Inspiring inclusion can lead to a more equal society, where there are no gender-related roles and discrepancies in pay, education or workplace. Where men are not considered the superior/stronger gender and where all women are acknowledged and valued based on their abilities.
Women are a force to be reckoned with, and when united, there is no limit to what we can achieve. Without recognising our complexity, mind-blowing ways of logical thinking and incredible strength, the world would not be the same, so inclusion is not only inspired, but indispensable.
Who runs the world? GIRLS!
Mark Jones, Production Coordinator, added:
“Representation is everything. People will never aspire to be what they do not see. IWD is about celebrating and recognising inspiring women.”