March 8 marks International Women’s Day – a day in which organisations and individuals around the world unite to celebrate the achievements of women, while looking ahead and working towards ensuring that equal opportunities are available for all genders.
The day offers a chance for reflection, while bringing an important issue to the forefront of people’s minds – and there’s still a lot of work to be done before true equality is reached.
Last year, the World Economic Forum published a report which predicted that the gender gap won’t be filled out entirely until 2186, which is simply too far away. This year, International Women’s Day looks to focus the spotlight on this issue, with its #BeBoldForChange campaign, which encourages people to pledge to challenge bias and inequality, campaign against violence, forge women’s advancement, celebrate their achievements, and champion their education.
Microsoft is fully committed to equality, and has recently published research which shows that the majority of girls lose interest in STEM subjects by the age of 15, and only 6.7% of women graduate with STEM degrees, with many participants put off by the lack of equality in STEM fields.
Microsoft’s #MakeWhatsNext campaign looks to encourage and inspire girls and young women to spark a passion for STEM subjects, so that they can go on to positively shape the future.
As we all strive to make the world a better place, we can take inspiration from the people around us to work together and drive change.
Over the course of the next week, this page will be updated with the profiles of various European female General Managers at Microsoft, sharing an insight into their journeys, challenges, and the valuable advice they offer.
We hope it can offer inspiration to drive change, and help girls and young women #MakeWhatsNext.
