Inclusion & Opportunity

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global recognition of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day is also an annual call to action for accelerating gender parity, as evidenced by this year's theme, #BalanceforBetter. The theme underscores the need for gender balance in the workplace and government, gender balance in media and sports coverage, a balance in the distribution of wealth, and gender balance in all other areas of society.

From the time I initially shared our ambition, we at Schneider Electric have been making progress in changing the way we work to achieve that cultural shift.

In 1942, Mary G. Ross, changed the course of history by becoming the first female engineer at Lockheed Martin – paving the way for the next generation of female engineers. At the time, working as an engineer within the aerospace industry was a near-impossible achievement for women. Yet through determination, tenacity and undeniable talent Ross quickly made her indelible mark, making especial contributions to the P-38 Lightning.

Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. We notice gender-balance’s absence and celebrate its presence in boardrooms, governments, media coverage, and in the tech industry. And, every person, government and company has a part to play in building a gender-balanced world. At Symantec, supporting the U.S. State Department’s TechWomen program is one way we work towards #BalanceforBetter. TechWomen connects and supports female “Emerging Leaders” in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.

Given that the number of women-owned businesses has grown at nearly four times the rate of men-owned firms over the past 20 years[1] — 28.5% vs. 7.5% — it’s nearly incomprehensible that just 30 years ago a woman needed a male cosigner to obtain a business loan. That all changed in 1988 with the passage of H.R. 5050, the Women’s Business Ownership Act, a piece of landmark legislation that is the bedrock for policies, programs and public/private initiatives that continue to support businesswomen today.

This International Women’s Day and every day, we have the responsibility and opportunity to break down gender barriers that stifle progress and hinder innovation. It’s up to all of us to #balanceforbetter.

We know the energy and potential of our millennial employees not only can move Moody’s business forward but also can help us become a vehicle for positive change. To support our young talent, we constantly seek ways to learn about the challenges they face and what motivates and inspires them.

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company, is raising awareness about the need for gender balance in the workplace through a social media campaign, #WomenStrong.

In December of last year, The Venetian Resort Las Vegas hosted the property’s top female executives for the Women in Hospitality Summit led by Dr. Susan Fleming. The first-ever summit was established as a means for female executives to be exposed and enlightened to various methods of attaining higher positions within the company and also guiding and mentoring their departments.

“After having Dr. Fleming speak at a Leadership Speaker Series the year prior, we thought the extended course being offered by Cornell Executive Education would be an exciting opportunity for leadership development,” said Anna Schmid, vice president of arena partnerships.