Celebrating International Women's Day with a Call to Action

Shabnam Mitchell, PMP, PMI-ACP

Happy International Women's Day! As a mother working in the defense industry for a female-owned company, I must admit that today is a mixed bag of emotions. For starters, this article from last month lists the high-profile glass-ceiling-breaking women that have chosen to leave the workforce, stating, “The pattern has the potential to unwind decades of progress toward gender equity and increased female leadership in the workplace." Add to that the recent setbacks to policy that further disadvantage women such as reductions in benefits to lower-income families primarily led by single mothers.
  
During the pandemic, over 2 million women left their careers to care for their families due to schools shutting down. One in 3 childcare centers permanently closed down. We are barely getting back into the stride of returning to pre-pandemic employment numbers, but the field is far from level. Eve Rodsky’s book and consequent documentary, Fair Play, further illustrate how the US has the worst family-friendly public policy in the developed world. For example, US & Papua New Guinea are the only two countries in the world with no federal paid maternity leave. The picture is rather stark.
 
It's no surprise that women are burned or burning out. Our society does not have the infrastructure to support women. According to lawyer and US Rep Katy Porter, "There are lots of things we do in government that cost a lot. There is a hidden message there; it's just too expensive to support women. Wouldn't it be just cheaper if we just keep letting women do it all for free?" 

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By The New York Times | Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and Elizabeth Davis and Aaron Sojourner for the Hamilton Project.

Thankfully, at QIC, I report to the COO who meets with me weekly to ensure not only that my workload is balanced, but that I have the resources I need to be successful, including the flexibility necessary to maintain a work-life balance. I wish I could say this took having tough conversations to achieve, but the truth is, our company culture not only encourages us to be upfront and authentic, it requires it. 
 
While there is certainly more work to be done to support women, especially mothers, I am proud of the conversations I hear taking place around me. We are finally vocalizing so much of what has been deeply felt for too long. Looking ahead, I hope we can turn this one-day celebration into a year-round push for equality.  
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If any of this interests you, check out this study from the LeanIn organization for more information and this site for ways to get involved. ​