International Women’s Day: When workplace is a level playing field

By Sunil Jose
The first step begins with the recognition that a bias exists. Today, women and men around the world are part of an unprecedented movement for women’s rights, equality and justice. From global marches to movements like #MeToo, women are raising their voices in unison, calling out sexual harassment, organising for unequal pay and women’s political representation.
At the workplace, the fight for gender equality has come a long way, but reality is in many industries and corporate cultures, men are still a step ahead. Businesses are beginning to realise that increasing diverse participation is not a woman’s issue, it’s a business issue and more importantly a human issue. It is essential to bring men into the conversation.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, an ally is someone “joined with another for common purpose.” An ally is an individual who doesn’t identify as someone from an underrepresented, marginalised, or disenfranchised group—but seeks to understand the issues that impact these communities and use their platforms to create change.
One ally can be extremely powerful and make a difference in someone’s life—but imagine the power of a community of allies. If a large group of people can come together to amplify the voices of others and create a better environment for all, that’s when we can start to see tangible progress in equality.
At Salesforce, we are committed to building a world where everyone has equal rights, equal access to education, equal pay for equal work, and an equal opportunity to succeed. We are on a journey and there is much work to be done, but we are committed to ensuring that Salesforce is a place that truly welcomes all. As we often say, we believe that businesses are platforms for change — and so are the people who work there.
When we build a community of allies we empower our employees to be equality champions, help ensure that nobody feels like “the only,” and cultivate a workplace where every single person feels they belong.
Gender diversity is correlated with both profitability and value creation. We know that businesses profit from the many benefits that diverse perspectives bring to innovation and company competitiveness. Despite a mounting body of research showing that diverse teams outperform their competition across a broad spectrum of metrics, including profitability, innovation and productivity, workplace diversity appears to be the biggest battle businesses are faced with.
Having both women and men simply means you benefit from the different points of view and approaches that come from different life experiences. Diversity of perspectives can spark creativity and innovation and help spot and seize new opportunities. Most importantly it encourages individuals to challenge gender stereotypes. And why would you want to miss out on the perspective of half the population in the world?
How to Be an Ally: Distil allyship into four simple steps — ask, listen, show up, and speak up. Being an ally empowers others and is also empowering. When we stand together as allies, we have the power to create an unstoppable movement to drive tangible societal change.
Amplification can be a powerful tool in combating the unconscious bias at work. Male allies can help give credit where credit is due. When you hear a woman at work being talked over, interrupted, or worse -- having her ideas co-opted by someone else -- speak up to help pass the mic back her way. Use your privilege like a spotlight to highlight the words of women who might otherwise fall on deaf ears.
Being a mentor & sponsor can help accelerate careers. The ongoing mentor relationship is on the rise and is critical for providing valuable counsel and support needed throughout a woman’s career. Sponsors connect women with the substantive opportunities and networks of power needed for continued career success. Good sponsors can in some form supercharge a woman’s career bringing her achievements to the attention of senior-level executives and recommending her for key projects.
Microaggressions - those statements, actions, or incidents that reflect indirect, subtle, and sometimes unintentional discrimination against women and other marginalized minorities - are common in the workplace. When a colleague calls a woman “aggressive” or “shrill,” explain how that negative framing might gloss over the fact that she’s being assertive -- a key skill all leaders need. If a colleague makes a sexist joke, call it out to let them know why it’s not okay.
Allow women to be the experts on their own gendered experience in the world. Validate women’s experiences, even if you feel called out or are tempted to get defensive. Practise empathically putting yourself in their shoes and trying to listen to the unsaid and understand their experience. This might even include being proactive about asking the women in your office how you can be a better ally. Get curious about what women need to feel valued, safe, and respected as equals - even if that requires soliciting anonymous feedback.
According to International Labour Organisation, gender wage pay gap is highest in India with 34%of women employees being paid less than men. While we at Salesforce determine whether there are unexplained differences in pay, there is no finish line to equal pay, and we are more committed than ever to achieving pay equality inside our four walls, and outside as well. Being an advocate for fair workplace policies will double our collective power to create a world where everyone has equal rights, equal access to education, equal opportunities to succeed and equal pay for equal work.
Together, we can create a more equal world for all.
(The writer is a senior vice-president at Salesforce India.)