International Women’s Day celebrates how far women have come in their struggle for gender equality. Women’s day is an opportunity to honour the courage and determination of all the women who have changed history and acts as a platform for all those who will continue to do so, in the pursuit of gender equality for generations to come.
At Employsure, we believe in equality for all – regardless of one’s age, gender, race or religion. Not just today but every day we respect and appreciate the women we work with, and importantly we do our best to support them in all phases of their lives. In doing so, we are breaking gender bias, supporting them in fulfilling their personal commitments; and we are championing them in their career goals.
Here are some of the women we are privileged to work with and their thoughts on gender equality:
Jess Van Der Walt
Head of Operations – BrightHR
What advice do you have for women starting in the workplace?
Don’t be afraid to take on new challenges even if you are doubtful. Believe in yourself and you’ll be surprised with what you can achieve.
What progress towards gender equality have you experienced in your career journey?
Seeing more men take parental leave and working part-time to share the weight of family responsibilities has enabled more women to progress and develop in their careers.
How has Employsure supported you as a woman in the workplace?
I’m incredibly thankful for every opportunity that has come my way and I’ve had the privilege of supporting and coaching so many women across the business to perform and succeed in their respective roles.
What more do you think can be done towards gender equality?
I would love to see childcare fees become tax deductable for the primary carer. A radical idea that would absolutely increase workforce participation from women and enable them to take on senior responsibilities.
‘A truly diverse and inclusive workplace will lead to a better tomorrow.’
Elise Psaltis
Manager – Marketing Automation
What progress towards gender equality have you experienced in your career journey?
Education and Empowerment. Education – to know what acceptable behaviour towards women is. Empowerment – to be able to voice and address unacceptable behaviour and bias in a safe environment.
What advice do you have for women starting in the workplace?
Get yourself a mentor and lean on them for guidance and advice.
How has Employsure supported you as a woman in the workplace?
Employsure has been incredible in supporting me through motherhood. I’ve been privileged in being able to take time off for each one of my kids and have returned each time into roles that have been both challenging and rewarding.
What can other organisations learn from Employsure on gender quality?
Support the mums in your organisations. There is nothing greater than a determined woman returning from maternity leave – their resolve and drive shows in their work.
‘It’s an opportunity to honour the courage and determination of all the women who have changed history’
Natalia Merzlikina
Manager – Digital Acquisition
What progress towards gender equality have you experienced in your career journey?
I am thrilled to see a cultural shift in the recognition of women in workplaces as I believe women play an integral part in moving any organisation forward. Throughout my career, I have always found myself in a male-dominated environment and have had to take calculated risks for my own well-being. If we keep progressing in the right direction; I am confident that gender bias and stereotype will soon be a thing of the past and one that the next generation of women will not have to experience.
How has Employsure supported you as a woman in the workplace?
Here at Employsure, I have a great support system and feel really valued as a woman. My opinions matter and my voice is heard. This is what Employsure does best – and this is what all industries should do, create a safe, respectful, and collaborative environment for all.
‘We believe in equality for all – regardless of one’s age, gender, race or religion’
We live in a world of endless possibilities, a world where we should be constantly moving towards the end of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world built on diversity, equality, and inclusiveness and a world where difference is valued and celebrated. Imagine such a world, a world where the next generation of women will never have to worry if their voices will be heard, or their opinions valued. That is the kind of world we must strive to build and normalize.
We have so much to celebrate at Employsure this International Women’s Day, with so many talented women in our organisation leading, inspiring, challenging norms and driving change! Together, we can forge women’s equality and collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.
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