That is the question we asked RingCentral female employees in honor of International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, 2022 – a global day celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and marking a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. IWD originated from labor movements in North America and Europe during the early 1900s and became a mainstream global holiday following its adoption by the United Nations in 1977.
IWD embodies Feminism, which at the basic level has the goal to achieve equal social, political, and economic rights for women. Initially, Feminism focused on women’s voting rights and property rights. Then came the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1960s, which focused on issues beyond the legal status of women to include sexuality, reproductive rights, gender roles, and patriarchal attitudes and culture.
Feminism means a lot of things to different people. Here are some of the perspectives of my female colleagues on Feminism:
“Feminism is about equality. It’s not about one side vs. another side – but rather, it’s about equality for all. It’s reprioritizing access and opportunity so that we can end unjust practices that hold women, people of color, and LGBTQ people back from full equality and equity.”
“Equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender.”
“Feminism means to me the freedom of all genders from belittling and dangerous stereotypes. It means freedom for all to achieve their individual greatness. Feminism is inclusive. It is powerful. It is strength.”
“Feminism to me is beyond standing up for rights of women. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg defined Feminism because she stood up for what is right, period … regardless of man or woman. Her views were to ensure laws did not infringe on our rights as human beings, and that is something we should all aspire to. Defending those who cannot do so for themselves, be champions for those without a voice, to me, this is Feminism.“
“A way of addressing the imbalance between men and women in society – looking towards being inclusive of all, women, men, and non-binary.”
Feminism has evolved with many strides being made over the past 120+ years in women’s rights, and it appears from our RingCentral respondents, Feminism today means equality for all genders. We certainly have more work to do on all fronts.
At RingCentral, we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 (and strive to every day) and its 2022 theme: #BreakTheBias. We also share the vision:
Imagine a gender-equal world.
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
A world where difference is valued and celebrated.
Together we can forge women’s equality.
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
What does Feminism mean to you? Feel free to share your thoughts and tag @RingCentral on social. For more information on IWD, check out our web page.
