Mar 02, 2022

Women's History Month 2022

Kate Rancourt
Co-Leader Womxn in the Workplace ERG

This Women’s History Month, One Workplace companies will celebrate the pioneering women of the past, support the women of today, and invest in the emerging women leaders of tomorrow with our exciting activities and initiatives.

Women’s History Week was recognized nationally in 1982, and quickly evolved by a vote in Congress to the entire month of March for Women’s History Month, celebrating the contributions women have made over the course of American history. Womxn in the Workplace is proud to collaborate in March 2022 with our Working Parents ERG to celebrate our own women’s contributions as well as those who came before us to pave the way.

We’ve aligned activities the entire month of March around our ERG pillars:
personal + professional development, social + networking, community + philanthropy, and education.

Personal + Professional Development:

To kick off our celebrations for the Month, Womxn in the Workplace and Working Parents ERGs will support our own Girl Scouts of America in their nationally (in)famous cookie sales initiative. But Girl Scouts of America is so much more than cookies. Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in 1912, a time when women in the US could not yet vote and were expected to stick to certain social stereotypes and norms. Encouraging young girls to embrace their strengths and to lead over 100 years ago was truly pioneering. This initiative united a movement across the country to unlock the potential of girls and invest in their growth and development as leaders.

Our coworkers’ daughters, nieces, and little sisters recorded video presentations to pitch their cookie sales to our employees. This not only helps support their efforts to raise funds for their troops, but also teaches them confidence, presentation, and sales skills. We’re thrilled to be able to support our own Girl Scouts within the company, and to continue to invest in our emerging women leaders.

Social + Networking:

Week two of March is designated “Women in Construction Week”, and Vantis will help celebrate their own women in construction, women from their network of partners and from their clients. We’ll share the history of women in construction, the trailblazers in the industry, as well as stories and experiences of what it’s like to be in construction from those who continue to pave the way. We’re excited to shine the light on the leaders in this field, to share the reality of the current state and some ways we feel it can change in the future.

Education:

Week three we’re excited to host Dr. Kellie McElhaney, Founding Director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership and a Faculty member at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Dr. McElhaney will speak truth to the state of women in the workplace, share startling data around gender pay gaps, describe what equity really looks like, and offer some solutions to the problems women still face today. This internal event will be an optional company-wide event to learn together, build comradery and take steps to help all women gain equality in the workplace.

Community + Philanthropy:

Lastly but certainly not least, in week 4 we’ll offer opportunities to support women in our community. Womxn in the Workplace and Working Parents ERGs will partner to present two organizations, local to the Bay and Seattle areas, encouraging enterprise wide support as they do important work in our communities. The Bay Area organization we’ll help support is Parisi House on the Hill, located in San Jose, CA. “The Parisi House helps support women on their journey to break free from addiction while helping them get the tools they need to take control of their lives and become better parents to their kids.” It is one of the very few residential drug and alcohol treatment centers in the Bay Area where moms can stay with their babies and young children.

Our PNW organization is Mary’s Place in the Seattle area. “Mary’s Place provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness. Since 1999, Mary’s Place has helped thousands of women and families move out of homelessness into more stable situations. Across five emergency family shelters in King County, we keep families together, inside, and safe when they have no place else to go, providing resources, housing and employment services, community, and hope.“

Each of these organizations publish ways to give, including an Amazon wish list for Mary’s Place and we’re encouraging voluntary donations to help stock up important and vital supplies to continue their efforts to work support Seattle area women and families.

Parisi House of the Hill Ways to Give

Mary’s Place Ways to Give

Women’s History Month has our special focus in March, but like any good cause, we hope to continue our efforts throughout the year. So we encourage you to join us in celebrating all of the wonderful women in our lives this year.