Fifth Third Women’s BRG Celebrates International Women’s Day

The Cincinnati Women’s Business Resource Group led an enterprise International Women’s Day celebration from 9 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. on March 2. International Women’s Day will be celebrated this year on March 8.

This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. According to InternationalWomensDay.com, “The aim of the IWD’s 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.”

The Fifth Third event featured a keynote address by Denisha Porter, executive director of All-In Cincinnati, a racial equity coalition working to dismantle racial inequities in five priority areas of health, housing, education, economic mobility and justice with a goal to uplift and advance Black women in Hamilton County, Ohio.

Remarking on the importance of International Women’s Day, Ms. Porter said, “Truly, we can change the world only when we lean on each other, when we act in unison and when we lift each other up. Your victory is my victory, and my victory is your victory. But your pain is also my pain, and my pain is also your pain. This is true for every woman in our lives. It’s true for our mothers. It’s true for our daughters, granddaughters, sisters, girlfriends, colleagues, neighbors, sorority sisters, nieces, aunts and industry peers. This is even true for our workplace rival, for the cousin that gets under our skin and even for the local leader whose decisions we may not understand. We are all still part of the sisterhood; their victory and their pains are ours.”

Following the keynote, Liz Osborne, chief audit executive at Fifth Third Bank, moderated a panel discussion with Janice Liebenberg, vice president, equitable arts advancement at ArtsWave; Dr. Odayme Quesada, medical director of The Christ Hospital Women's Heart Center; and Ashley Solomon, clinical psychologist and founder of the Galia Collaborative.

Attendees of the event also took part in a community service project with Missing Maps, an open, collaborative project in which individuals can help to map areas where humanitarian organizations are trying to meet the needs of people who live at risk of disasters and crises. Using an easy, online tool to trace buildings, waterways and roads over satellite images, mappers can put entire communities on the maps in just one afternoon.

Nearly 5,000 Fifth Third employees participate in one or more of the Bank’s BRGs, all of which focus on employee development, community involvement and business innovation. The Bank’s BRGs include African American; Asian & Pacific Islander; Individuals with Disabilities; Latino; LGBTQ+; Military; Sustainability; Women’s; and Young Professionals.