Hack your commute: Join the International Women’s Day campaign

As 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD), it’s a good time of year to focus your mind – and those of your colleagues and bosses – on your attitudes and behaviours in relation to the continuing disparity between the genders in the workplace and elsewhere. While some clearly see IWD as an opportunity to sell more products, you could have a greater influence on creating change by actually taking concrete actions to improve things – ones which extend beyond 8 March.

So how can you change the world in the space of a commute? A good first step would be to research this year’s campaign theme for IWD, #BalanceforBetter. It looks to create a more gender-balanced world.

“From grassroots activism to worldwide action, we are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance. We notice its absence and celebrate its presence,” says the campaign.

“Balance drives a better working world. Let’s all help create a #BalanceforBetter.”

It is not intended to be specific to any brand or company but to be a banner under which all can unite. This year’s campaign aims to make IWD now a women’s issue but a business issue, calling for gender balance in every area of life from boardrooms, governments and wealth, to media and sports coverage.

IWD is asking people to strike the #BalanceforBetter pose and post pictures of them doing so on social media using the hashtag #IWD2019 along with details of the action they are taking towards gender balance. The commute might not be the best place to try to take a selfie but it offers the opportunity to reflect on how you could take part and the steps you could take personally and professionally to achieve greater gender balance.