In celebration of International Women's day this week, we took the time to ask our CEO, Rosalind Benjamin and Business Director, Mirela Duras, about what IWD means to them as they share their thoughts and experiences.
Q: Why do you think it’s important to celebrate WID and why is it important to you?
A: Rosalind - All over the world, we recognise that women have not been given the same opportunities or continue to deal with unconscious biases from all genders. This is not just from men this is also from women to women.
IWD is a valuable checkpoint every year to question ourselves and hold ourselves accountable for what we actually do.
It’s easy to be carried away with what may seem like behavioural norms when in fact they are biased and inappropriate.
As a leader and CEO, I have the opportunity to influence our organisations and those that interact with us to make the changes we need to give women the opportunity to be treated without bias.
On an international landscape- I strongly uphold women to have the right to live free from violence and discrimination; to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to be educated; to own property; to vote, and to earn an equal wage.
A: Mirela - March the 8th – is a day that commemorates the social, political and economic achievements of women.
However, this is a day to remind us that even though we’ve done a lot there is still A LOT more to do.
Q: Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them?
A: Rosalind - In the early 90s I used to attend meetings as a very young leader and on numerous occasions, I was told they would prefer to deal with a man and was often not taken seriously or mistaken as a student and was there for work experience.
I had bank managers refuse to open bank loans as I was too inexperienced, there was inappropriate behaviour, talking over me and interrupting, not wanting to build a relationship as they preferred the lads, and trying not to entertain clients without a male presence.
In those days, ageism as well.
I had to learn like many other women to work twice as hard, learn more, prepare more. I had to find my own cash to expand the business by sheer dedication, 7 days a week.
In meetings I asserted myself, spoke louder, interrupted, said no more than once, set boundaries repeatedly, did not expect to be popular and settle for being called formidable and aggressive, start wearing dowdy clothes and carefully dress.
A: Mirela - I’ve been lucky enough that my bosses have been powerful women or men in the past who have never had problems with ambitious women, or have held negative stereotypes of feminism.
I have always been driven by achievements and surrounded by people that have the very same goals and values and have encouraged my growth.
I am immensely proud to work for a company that has strong, creative and driven female CEO and to be supported and to work alongside male colleagues that inspire me.
I also do know that my life would look very different if I hadn’t made the decision to move to the UK in my early twenties. Our experiences as women are very much defined by where we were born.
Q: What important message would you like to send out to young women about their careers?
A: Rosalind - Workplaces and management do your thing to remove the barriers to women and support other women's careers.
Work on your personal brand, don't worry about being a go-getter.
Stop apologising or knocking yourself for contributing an idea.
Please, all women stand comfortable in your shoes and say what you want to, don't ever let someone undermine your opinions as they are just as important.
A: Mirela - I will quote someone else here, Courtney Devereux - Editor of Nak-Ed Magazine:
“Don’t empower me – pay me. For decades I’ve been telling women that amount you ask for is always the highest amount you can say out loud without actually bursting out laughing”
What excites you most about the future?
A: Rosalind - Organisations are setting new norms in the workplace and educating the workforce on how to behave. It's nowhere it needs to be internationally but it's moving in the right direction.
A: Mirela - Where to start? Big picture - we can all do better and invest time and effort in creating a more inclusive and sustainable world that we all want to live in.
As we look into the future there is the next generation of women leaders, and how encouraging and inspiring is that for upcoming generations.
The slightly less big picture - I am excited about my current workplace and all my female and male colleagues that motivate and influence me to be better each and every day.
At Ark, we are proud to share we have a number of females in our leadership teams, what can you do to bring more gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow?
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