How to Safeguard Real Progress for Women at Work — Even If Your Company Did Nothing For Women’s History Month

Each March, I’ve become accustomed to the performative social media posts from companies, check-the-box brand campaigns and those carefully crafted press releases, all to celebrate and acknowledge Women’s History Month. But this March, I have become deeply unsettled, watching more and more companies quietly canceling Women’s History Month. This year, fewer posts, fewer campaigns, fewer initiatives.

The litany of excuses includes:

• “We don’t have the budget to support this.”
• “We have too many events.”
• “We don’t want to be seen as political.”
• “We have women in leadership.”
• “We are focused on driving the business- this is a distraction.”

But isn’t Women’s History Month needed now more than ever?

According to Catalyst research, over 455,000 women (and growing) left the workforce last year. Nearly two-thirds of women said they would be likely to leave a job if their company put into place a mandatory return-to-office policy. Not enough companies are providing equal durations of both maternity and paternity leave to ensure both men and women can be caregivers. Finally, LinkedIn‘s research also confirms what many of us as women experience: “leadership momentum stalls at the manager level, with steeper drop-offs from VP to C-suite” for women.

Let’s be honest: Many of us don’t individually have the power to make policy and structural changes that can help attract, develop and retain women. We may not even be in a position to influence any of this. This can feel overwhelming and exhausting. So what can we, as individuals, do to support women in our workplaces?

If your company quietly canceled Women’s History Month, consider starting with these three actions to continue to advance women in our workplaces:

1. Say her name when she’s not in the room

The first time a mentor told me that “behind closed doors is where decisions about your career are happening,” I was floored. I had no idea that my career was being shaped in some rooms I would never be in. From large talent review meetings to informal one-on-ones, there’s an opportunity to make sure other women are being considered.

So when she’s not in the room, say her name. Say her name to get that bonus, to get that raise, to get that award. Say her name for that leadership program, say her name to get more headcount, say her name to be on that task force.

You can say her name even if she doesn’t currently work at your company. Say her name as an external candidate for an open role. Say her name as an opportunity to bring her in as a small business owner, who could help your company with a project or assignment as a consultant or speaker.

And remember, don’t say her name for more office work, including planning that offsite, that farewell party or that customer happy hour. Do say her name for high-visibility projects that will help her get that next role, that next assignment, that next promotion.

2. Defend her reputation in her absence

When we hear women receive biased or personality-based feedback, we have to intervene. We should ask ourselves: Would we ask this question or make this statement about a man? If we don’t challenge what some might perceive to be innocent statements or harmless jokes, these labels can stick and ultimately impact career outcomes. Here’s how to intervene:

They say: “Mita needs to smile more if she wants to lead teams. We all need to know she’s happy here.” You say: “You know, I would love for Jeff to smile more often. I am not sure if he’s happy here. Should we consider taking his name off the promotion list as well?”

They say: “Mita is difficult to work with and needs to watch her tone.” You say: “That hasn’t been my experience working with Mita. I find her to be collaborative. Can you help us understand specifically what makes her difficult to work with?”

They say: “Mita is strong technically. I am not sure she has the gravitas for this role if, and only if, she can lead the room.” You say: “Say more about gravitas. Can you help us understand how you define it? We should make sure all of our leaders have enough gravitas and that we are working from the same definition.”

In each of these examples, we want to get to the facts. We want to correct any misinformation and squelch any rumors. We want to help others self-reflect on their biases and ensure women are being judged fairly based on their performance.

3. Clap loudly for her

Clapping loudly for her isn’t just about the applause at a team meeting, offsite or awards ceremony. It’s about making sure she is credited and then celebrated for the work she is doing in those daily moments.

When someone steals a woman’s idea in a meeting, don’t let them. “Mark, I’m so glad you brought up Mita’s idea. I’ll be sure to send everyone the proposal she shared with the team last week.”

When a woman excels in delivering a key initiative, don’t just celebrate her privately. Email her boss and let them know specifically what she did so they have a written record of it. And you don’t need a “specific title” to do that.

When a woman does a great job in the moment, say her name when she’s in the room. “Mita, thank you for having the courage to ask these questions. Your backup scenarios will be critical if the launch doesn’t go as planned.

Recognition travels in our workplaces. When we keep hearing someone’s name associated with strong work, it positively shapes how they are perceived.

Remember that the most powerful drivers of supporting women boil down to this: who gets credit, who gets opportunities and whose voice is heard. Maybe the quiet cancellation of Women’s History Month is just the reminder we needed to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself. If companies are afraid to lean into March, we can’t let that stop us from showing up and advocating for women, every single month of the calendar year.