Devan Moonsamy, CEO of ICHAF Training Institute and the Author of ‘Racism, Classism, Sexism and the other ISM’s that Divide us’ discusses Women’s Month and what to do differently!
South Africa (08 August 2020) – August has always been the month of celebration of women. The month is set aside to commemorate more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on the 9th of August 1956 in protest against the Pass Laws to women. As the country passes the 500,000 mark in terms of positive cases of COVID-19 it is hard to keep a positive spirit.
The month of August often sees activities, events and gatherings within organisations to commemorate and celebrate women. This year however with the Coronavirus changing the course of planned events, it might not be possible.
But can we still find a way to make the month special amid the pandemic?
We most definitely can.
As a company, you can still celebrate your outstanding female staff. Use this time to identify and recognise female staff that have been going above and beyond for the organisation. You can celebrate them by sharing a post on social media recognising their outstanding effort.
You could also do a profile of the female staff in the organisation and celebrate the longest standing employees by posting it up on your company website. This way your customers get to know your team.
Despite being in 2020, many companies still have challenges in terms of gender equality in the workplace. This is the perfect time to iron out any of those issues by launching a campaign to address any circumstances of gender inequality or injustice that might have transpired in the workplace. By this we mean give your staff the platform to come to you and address any concerns pertaining to their role in the organisation.
As much as the month of August celebrates women, we can’t help but feel that it’s the same cycle every year. We host a celebration, raise a glass to women and then go back to continuing with the way we do things. So, the real question is what can we do differently this year to show appreciation and acknowledge the phenomenal role women play in our lives?
The best way to show appreciation is to initiate upskilling. We have female employees who have been with us for decades. Is it not time that we invest in their future? Why not look at a training programme that will give them skills and enhance their work experience. This will not just make them better at what they do but also give them some sort of learning opportunity that they can be proud of.
The month of August does not have to lose its spirit and it should not go by without any initiative being shown to appreciate staff. Use the time to recognise and commend the efforts of staff who have made it possible for the wheel to keep turning during a pandemic.
Sources: Devan Moonsamy
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