Graziadio Women's Business Association on the Importance of Women's History Month

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
International Women's History Month is a great time to seek out stories and historical contributions of our female ancestors that have been lost in the male narrative that dominates history.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
A common barrier I have faced as a woman in the workforce is the assumption by older colleagues that a male colleague who is the same age and has the same experience as me is seen as more qualified.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
It means supporting women who, despite challenges, are resilient in pursuing their dreams. The day is about celebrating women's successes, recognizing the barriers women face, and advocating for change. International Women's Day reminds us that we all have a role in advancing gender equality. By uplifting and empowering women, we can create a more equal and safe society.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
Gender pay inequality (this is an assumption, but I know it exists). I've unfortunately experienced pregnancy and lactation discrimination and have been spoken over and interrupted by male colleagues.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
International Women's History Month is a time for us to reflect upon and celebrate the many achievements of women throughout history, which has allowed us as women to be where we are today. It allows us to recognize that women "hold up half the sky" and that we should be treated equally as such.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
As a woman in the workforce, I have struggled with finding my voice. My industry has very dominant, masculine personalities, and I have learned to navigate these barriers by acting with power; to stay authentic and speak my truth.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
International Women's History Month, to me, means celebrating and reflecting on the transformative changes that have happened to create equality while continuing to advocate for more necessary structural and social changes. This is a month to shine light on the inspirational stories which empower women and girls to strive to reach their full potential.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
I've faced barriers as a personal trainer where I had to work harder to get clients than my male counterparts. I have the privilege of returning to Citibank this summer, where they have the first female CEO of a major US bank. Working at Citibank, I never felt any kind of gender barrier and there are many initiatives to continue promoting female leaders at the executive level. This was continuously expressed to me from every female associate and executive I got to meet with last year.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
WHM is a time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements, contributions, and sacrifices women have made throughout the years. Often times these go under-recognized, but it's important for us to shine a light on them and continue to push for equal rights for women and acknowledge all that women have done to contribute to our society.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
As a female I'm often second guessed, talked down to, and not taken seriously. I find that I have to do more to prove myself, which calls for more prep work to make sure I have the right data to solidify and back up my decisions and opinion. I also find myself second guessing my work and often triple or quadruple checking just to make sure I've done everything correctly so to not chance providing the wrong data or answers.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
We have more work to do if we are relegating the contribution of a group that makes up half of the world's population to only a month.
As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
I've been diminished, exploited, and harassed, yet what adversaries don't understand is that I didn't get this far to simply stop here.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
To me International Women's History Month is an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of women throughout history, all around the world, and in all different sectors of business. It is essential to honor, acknowledge, and remember the incredible contributions that these powerful women have made but still is important for us to recognize the areas in which we can still make progress.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
A barrier that I have faced for a couple of years now is being one of the few females on my team. Although I enjoy the challenge, it did take some time for me to be aware of the fact that I was going to be treated differently - never bad, just differently. Luckily, I am on a very supportive team that has always encouraged me to grow in my professional career.

What does International Women's History Month mean to you?
It's another opportunity to continually develop the awareness and importance of what women can bring to the table, not just in March, but every day of the year.

As a woman in the workforce, what barriers, if any, have you/do you experience(d)?
Often feeling underestimated for the skill set that I could bring to the table. However, as I got more comfortable with my own voice and felt the support of my peers, especially women, it helped me become more confident in advocating for myself.