Continuing the Journey: Empowering Women, One Action at a Time
An exploration of actionable ways to empower and uplift women, fostering a community of strength and encouragement. 🌟👭💪
Last week, I wrote about lifting and empowering women, with a quote from Nikita Gill.
Following up, I'm excited to dive into actionable ways we can all pitch in to help and support each other. This is something I care deeply about, as I believe that as women, we must support and uplift each other.
At my last company, I had the honor of serving as lead of the Women’s Employee Resource Group (ERG). In this role, I wanted to foster a sense of inclusion, community, and empowerment for women within the company. In addition to hosting online social events and book club discussions, I used the ERG’s funds to sponsor attendance at conferences such as Girls in Tech. I also started a women-to-women mentorship program, with women from all across the company joining. Some were paired in a traditional 1:1 mentor-mentee relationship, and others into mentorship dens, where each woman had expertise in a skill or area where another member wanted to improve.
It was awesome to see the impact these initiatives had, bringing together a supportive community of women at the company.
Now, I want to do something similar with QUALITY BOSS. As I am currently navigating a job change, and contemplating a career change or at least a shift in focus, I also want to give back to the greater community.
I’ve been exploring becoming a leadership coach or mentor. This is part of the engineering leadership role that I’ve enjoyed immensely and through mentoring with Plato1, I discovered that I can make a difference for others outside my immediate team and colleagues.
All of this has inspired me to write this and share some actionable ways to support and empower women.
Five Ways to Lift and Empower Women
With everyone suffering from burnout, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the various stresses that life inevitably brings, it’s important that we lift and empower each other.
Here are five actionable ways to do so:
1. Share Expertise and Knowledge
This can be in a formal, mentorship relationship, or can be more casual. You can offer career guidance, share your own experiences, or provide advice. Do you know the best way to get a promotion or raise at your company? Are you an Excel wizard? Offer to share this expertise and knowledge with the women in your life. It can be 1 on 1, or consider running a skills workshop to reach even more women.
2. Amplify Voices
In meetings or discussions, actively listen to women’s ideas and give credit where it’s due. Repeat their points to ensure they’re heard. Promote women’s accomplishments on social media, blogs, or within your organization. Amplify their achievements and contributions.
Several women I know in the software testing community have recently shared some of my posts from QUALITY BOSS on social media and in their newsletters. Their support and the amplification of my writing mean the world to me and have helped spread QUALITY BOSS to new readers.
3. Celebrate Achievements
When you see a woman doing great work, express your admiration and support. Lift her up rather than feeling threatened.
Celebrating each other's successes creates a positive atmosphere that motivates and inspires. Celebrations and recognition can be done in private, but for greater impact, consider public recognition such as in a newsletter, on social media, or in a team meeting.
4. Provide Supportive Feedback
Provide supportive, constructive feedback. Often, we think it’s only a manager’s job to do this. However, good feedback can come from anywhere! If you have constructive feedback to help another woman improve, engage in a meaningful conversation with her. Focus on support and succeeding together.
Some tips on providing feedback (to anyone):
Make your feedback specific and actionable.
Focus on growth and frame feedback as such. An example would be taking a presentation from good to great.
Create a safe space. Make sure feedback is given in a private setting, and that it’s given without judgment.
Follow-up! Feedback shouldn’t be a one-off. Check in and see how they're doing with the feedback, and if they need any help.
5. Advocacy and Allyship
Advocate for women's rights and equality in the workplace and community. Support gender diversity initiatives, push for fair policies, and stand up for colleagues in everyday situations. Collective advocacy can have a huge impact on creating more equitable environments.
Additionally, I encourage you all to continue to educate and learn. This is especially true for men, who don’t always recognize the challenges that women face.
Educate yourself about intersectionality—recognize that women’s experiences vary based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, etc.
Attend workshops, read books, and engage in conversations about gender equality and women’s rights.
Lastly, I want to touch on a crucial “don't”: avoid gossiping about other women. Gossip only feeds into the harmful stereotype of women being catty and undermines the very foundation of trust and support we're trying to build. As someone who has personally experienced the hurtful impact of gossip, I know how painful it can be. Instead, let's commit to being a source of positive conversations that uplift and inspire. By focusing on what brings us together, we can create a more empowering and supportive environment for all women.
Remember, empowering women benefits everyone. Even if you have limited time, some of these can be done in mere minutes. Celebrate accomplishments on social media, share an article or resource that aligns with her interests or professional development goals, or introduce her to someone in your network who may be beneficial to know.
This is not a zero-sum game. Instead of treating it as a competition, let’s recognize that by lifting each other up, we create a stronger, more resilient community and that when one woman wins, we all win. Let’s continue supporting one another!
Conversation Starters:
Has another woman’s support or advice made a significant difference in your personal or professional life?
How do you actively contribute to creating a supportive environment for women around you?
In what ways can we better educate ourselves and others about the importance of gender equality and women's rights?
Empowering each other is a journey we're all on together, and every step we take makes a difference. I'd love to hear your stories and thoughts, so please share them in the comments below. Let's keep the conversation going and continue to build a community where every woman feels supported and valued. Together, we're unstoppable. 🌟👭💪
xo,
Brie