International Women's Day 2025: How will you help #AccelerateAction? | by Emma-Louise

From our 2021 IWD article by Delaney Tosh

It seems particularly relevant to remind ourselves of the huge benefits that women bring to the table, so I'm re-sharing the below:

3 Huge Benefits Women Bring to the Table

Research speaks loud and clear on the many advantages of having women at the table—in teams, organizational and political leadership, education, research and more.

Because what's been undeniably shown to be true is that when girls and women have access to the same opportunities as boys and men, unhampered by implicit biases and discrimination, companies and communities do better. ² And here are just a few of the benefits:

1) Better problem solving and greater innovation

Research shows that having more women in leadership positions brings a wider variety of perspectives and approaches, which results in better problem solving and innovation.

For example, in the biography ³ of the Widow Clicquot (of Veuve Clicquot champagne), which offers an interesting historical example: In the early 1800s, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot convinced her in-laws to let her take over the failing family wine business when her husband died at an early age. The Champagne industry was forever changed for the better by Madame Clicquot's innovation called remuage, today known as riddling. Her innovation effectively removed the yeast deposits that made the wine cloudy, creating a clear and far more appealing Champagne.

She also forged ahead to search out new markets that others in the industry were ignoring during a period of war and economic turmoil. She transformed a failing business into an empire and took Champagne from a not-very-appealing novelty product with limited markets to the international renown it enjoys today.

2) Increased profitability

Several studies over the past decade ⁴, and recently the Peterson Institute for International Economics survey ⁵ of 22,000 public companies, have all found that the presence of female leaders in top positions of corporate management correlates with increased profitability.

According to a leading global consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company:

"In the UK, greater gender diversity on the senior executive team corresponded to the highest performance uplift in our data set: for every 10% increase in gender diversity, earnings before interest and taxes rose by 3.5%." ⁶

3) Outstanding leadership

Female leaders rate higher than men on collaboration, establishing stretch goals, taking initiative, driving for results and displaying integrity and honesty.

A Harvard Business Review analysis ⁷ of a survey of 7,280 leaders in "successful and progressive organizations…both public and private, government and commercial, domestic and international" found that women are "rated higher in 12 of the 16 competencies that go into outstanding leadership."

Overall, the skills women rate higher in are those that contribute to improved problem solving and innovation, leadership, and skills that support teams characterized by enhanced trust and productivity.

Finally, here are 10 questions to ask yourself this International Women's Day:

1. How do you seek out and celebrate women's achievements?
2. What are you doing to celebrate International Women's Day?
3. What can you  do to better acknowledge the strengths and struggles of women and your female clients?
4. What do you normally do when you notice gender bias, discrimination or stereotypes in the world?
   • What could or will you do next time?
5. How can you call forth your female clients? How can you help them be more resilient and make choices that #AccelerateAction?
6. What can you do to #AccelerateAction in your daily life, as a coach—or as an advocate?
7. What can you do to #AccelerateAction at home, at work and in my community?
8. What gets in the way of you taking action?
9. What challenges are your clients facing—both the visible and the internal or invisible challenges?
10. If you work with women in the business or political landscape, what can you do to ensure women are heard and respected, receive training, mentorship and sponsorship, equal remuneration and advancement opportunities?

References:

• ¹ InternationalWomen'sDay.com
• ² Missed Opportunities: The High Cost of Not Educating Girls; World Bank; 2018
• ³ The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar J. Mazzeo; 2009; HarperCollins.
• ⁴ Study: Firms with More Women in the C-Suite Are More Profitable; 2016; Harvard Business Review
• ⁵ Working Paper: Is Gender Diversity Profitable? Evidence from a Global Survey; 2016; Peterson Institute for International Economics:
• ⁶ Diversity Matters, McKinsey & Company; Report January 2015
• ⁷ Are Women Better Leaders Than Men?; 2012; Harvard Business Review