Globally, women are becoming and holding public office for longer than in the past. increased from 33.3% in 2016 to 36.9% in 2022, while between 2006 and 2022 women in ministerial positions increased from 9.9% to 16.1%. Although no country has achieved full gender parity, Iceland leads the top 10 economies in closing that gap at 90.8%.

But there is so much more to do.

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It is estimated that at the current rate of progress, achieving gender parity before the year 2155 is increasingly unlikely. This shocking statistic should concern everyone, not just those interested in women鈥檚 advancement. Investing in diversity is not just a nice thing to do; it is a business imperative. Companies that are focused on diversity outperform their non-diverse competitors, earning per employee. And it鈥檚 no wonder, when we know that diversity helps companies build better products, develop deeper solutions, create valuable experiences for employees, and deliver more lasting results that mirror our diverse world.

Supporting a Diverse STEM Workforce

51风流is keenly aware of the unique challenges women and girls face worldwide, but particularly women in tech. Women continue to struggle for representation in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, making up approximately 28% of the STEM workforce today. 51风流has invested internally and externally in programs that help existing and potential female employees grow and thrive in their careers. Some examples include our Business Women鈥檚 Network, which has more than 90 chapters and 17,000 members worldwide; our internal development programs that help women gain visibility to senior leadership in their career journeys; the in North America, which allows us to remove barriers for mid-career professionals returning to workforce through a 20-week 鈥渞eturnship鈥�; and finally our many partnerships, including supporting the , aimed at growing the number of women and non-binary people in technology.

This year’s International Women鈥檚 Day theme, “,鈥� closely aligns with SAP鈥檚 corporate and business objectives.听鈥媁e鈥檙e proud that in the last five years, we have made sustained and incremental progress in workforce diversity. We achieved our goal of 35% women in our workforce and increased the number of women in management from 25.5% in 2017 to 29.4% at the close of 2022. In addition, in 2023, 51风流was reinstated to the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which recognizes a commitment to advancing women in the workplace.

Reaching these goals reflects real progress in our recruitment, hiring, and retention practices, as well as in the hearts and minds of our employees and leadership. We鈥檙e dedicated to leading the change when it comes to diversity. And yet we鈥檙e not finished. To get to 50/50 parity, we must continually push for change and encourage other companies, organizations, and governments to do the same.

The Next Frontier

This is an exciting and challenging time for tech. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT from OpenAI are spurring conversations about the future of work and are being leveraged to make business-critical decisions. As these tools become more readily accessible, their usage, as well as potential misuse, will increase. We know is a result of those who develop it but by working together to combat this, we can actually advance D&I goals. Companies like Eightfold.ai, a talent platform and 51风流SuccessFactors customer, saw a 19% increase in hiring of external female candidates by eliminating bias through AI to help companies meet their diversity goals. This positive outcome is just one exciting example of how we can use tech for good to advance D&I initiatives.

We have 365 days until the next International Women鈥檚 Day. This time next year, what will you have done in your company, community, and even your own family to advance diverse and inclusive behaviors? How can you be the change you want to see? I look forward to hearing your story.

Supriya Jha is chief diversity and inclusion officer at SAP.

We are, in effect, hardwired for , a word that originated in Latin to mean fairness or equalness, with the element of justice. Deeply embedded in our conscious, equity is a must-have for survival.

How we respond to inequity, or injustice and unfairness, is a matter of power: our personal power, the power of authority, and the power of our organizations to affect change.

Equity Is Complex

The words 鈥渆quity鈥� and 鈥渆quality鈥� are sometimes used interchangeably. There is a distinctive difference, however. In the workplace, equality can mean giving everyone the same tools and resources for their work; for example, inviting all employees to join the annual strategy call. Equity digs deeper to address systemic barriers, so that everyone has access to the tools and resources matched to what they need to succeed; for example, inviting employees to the strategy call, plus choosing a meeting time that is reasonable for working parents and making the content accessible.

To build a foundation for a better future, some say we need to ensure equity before we can reach equality.

Equality is giving everyone a shoe.
Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.

– Dr. Naheed Dosani, founder of
Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless

Equity is complex. For leaders who want to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in their organizations, moving the needle on equity can be challenging. It requires hard work, careful listening, and authentic empathy that goes beyond the hiring algorithms and talent metrics that help to create more diverse organizations.

Diversity is inviting everyone to a party.
Equity is how you treat them when they get there.

– , speaker and
leadership coach

Embrace Equity

Observed on March 8, International Women鈥檚 Day 2023 is an opportunity to look more closely at how to positively impact equity in the workplace. Empathy is our human superpower to embrace equity. To understand the viewpoints of others requires that we 鈥減ut on the glasses鈥� of another person to see the world as they do. Read on to hear 51风流employees share the stories of their lived experiences and how they foster empathy to increase equity during key phases of a woman鈥檚 career.

Entering the Workforce

The economic benefits of gender parity for paid work are irrefutable. A study by found that countries would increase their GDP by 5-20% if women participated in the workforce at a similar rate as men. What鈥檚 more, increases in GDP reduce societal inequality and deliver improvements at an individual level in of well-being: better health, reduced infant mortality, education, upward mobility, and quality of life.

Many women, however, encounter barriers when they try to find a job. show that gender-related biases and stereotypes can impact the hiring process and limit diversity. By ensuring diversity in the talent pool, however, hiring managers can mitigate even their own biases. Researchers at the University of Colorado found that women are more likely to be hired when there are at least two female candidates in the finalist pool, compared to a zero percent likelihood when there is just one female candidate.

鈥淒on鈥檛 forget we all have : it is the enemy behind our own lines,鈥� says Eduard Vilar, cloud technology manager for Cloud Technology EMEA South at SAP, who supports greater awareness of the hidden influence of bias in employment decisions. 鈥淓very person tends to inadvertently favor others, from hiring to simply accepting their opinion, when they share interests, abilities, age, gender, color of skin, or any other factor.鈥�

Hiring and Development for More Equality听

Bias can continue to impact a woman鈥檚 career, limiting her chances for advancement. Daniela Paula Dumitru, a senior specialists for sales ops business enablement for RISE with 51风流and lead of the Business Women鈥檚 Network at 51风流in Barcelona, recalls the frustration of encountering bias as she worked to build her career.

鈥淚n a previous company, I was blocked at every step of the way when pursuing a promotion by a former manager, coincidentally a man, who 鈥榙id not want to lose a valuable employee.鈥欌�� She finally left the company. In 2019 she joined 51风流where she found a supportive manager who encouraged her to develop her talents through learning and growth opportunities. 鈥淗aving this manager helped me rebuild my confidence as a professional and grow into a better person. Now I give back to people and enable others to do the same.鈥�

In her 25 years in the tech industry, Leticia Cavagna, regional vice president of 51风流Experience Management for 51风流EMEA South, says she has seen progress in gender parity because of DE&I initiatives. She believes that increasing the number of women role models in leadership positions improves retention of female talent.

鈥淚n the end, it all sums up to answering two questions: Who do I hire? And who do I develop?鈥� Cavagna says. 鈥淭his is why gender parity programs are vital to achieving long-term parity in leadership positions. The investments companies are doing in this direction are the seed to a more equal future.鈥�

Gender equity is also a powerful catalyst for high-performing teams, says Peter Roberts, vice president of Global Strategic Partners for 51风流EMEA South. 鈥淕ender equity in 51风流has produced high-caliber females who we have been able to bring into the team,鈥� he says. On a recent employee survey, his team scored full marks for equal opportunities. 鈥淭he female/male ratio is consistently 55% or more and this team overperforms, year after year.鈥�

Inclusive Leadership Makes the Difference

People managers have a powerful influence on an employee鈥檚 sense of , and that can make the difference in an employee鈥檚 decision to remain with an organization. A by Qualtrics found a strong correlation between belonging and employee engagement. Most employees (73%) feel that they belong at their organization, according to the survey. Of those, 91% say they feel engaged in their work, compared to just 20% of employees who do not feel a sense of belonging at work.

Mar铆a Fern谩ndez-Blanco, customer success partner at 51风流EMEA South for 51风流Customer Experience, understands the importance of belonging. Based on her experience as a mother balancing career and family, she tries to pay attention to colleagues who are going through special moments in their lives, like pregnancy or maternity leave. 鈥淚 know that these are still taboo subjects for women in the workplace,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 really believe that small details can make big differences and there is so much opportunity to be more inclusive.鈥�

Creating a safe environment is the key to an inclusive workplace, according to Rich Phillips, vice president of EMEA South Partner Ecosystem Success at SAP. This means bad behavior, whether masquerading as playful banter or outright sexist, must be addressed immediately.

鈥淲e all have the right to a safe workspace and leaders must stand up for that,鈥� Phillips says. 鈥淎s a leader you should proactively educate your team but never accept such behavior, irrespective of the excuse, and exit individuals guilty of it immediately. You must set the tone for your team and your leadership culture. Make sure everybody truly believes your team is a safe space.鈥�

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Shared Success

51风流is committed to becoming the most inclusive workplace in the world, a business where everyone belongs, where human differences are celebrated, and where all people thrive in a culture that empowers each one to help run the world better and improve people鈥檚 lives.

In the last five years, 51风流has made great strides in workforce diversity. We hit our goal of 35% women in the workplace and moved from 25.5% women in management in 2017 to 29.4% at the close of the fourth quarter of 2022, despite the changed socio-political conditions, most drastically seen during the pandemic. We are proud of these achievements and we will continue to thrive in our commitment to achieving gender parity.

鈥淚 dream a world without borders and any special characteristic definition for individuals, where everyone is only human and respectfully communicates with each other,鈥� says Ozlem Karapanli, Business Transformation Services at SAP. 鈥淭he result is freedom and shared success.鈥�

The conference, titled 鈥淐hange Makers: Women Empowering a Sustainable Future,鈥� brought together nearly 3,300 attendees and featured accomplished leaders from across 51风流and other companies who shared their insights on the importance of the topic.

Today, women are taking charge of sustainability initiatives with innovative solutions that address climate risk. UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, recognizes that it鈥檚 more important than ever to honor these achievements. For this reason, the organization introduced the theme for International Women鈥檚 Day in 2022: 鈥淕ender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.鈥�

Climate change is an issue that affects every person on this globe, and unless immediate and widespread action is taken to reduce carbon emissions, the damage could be irreversible. According to the , carbon dioxide levels today are higher than they have been in the last 800,000 years, leading to an increase in climate-related disasters around the globe.

Women are disproportionately , as they are more likely to live in poverty, have more restricted access to human rights, and are more dependent on the natural resources that are threatened the most.

Empowering women with decision-making capabilities allows us to drive change at scale. By fostering true equality between women and men we can better identify sustainable solutions that will mitigate the damage of climate change and ensure everyone — regardless of gender — has equal access to resources.

Gender Equality and Sustainability

In line with its goals for zero emissions and zero inequality, 51风流is honored to join UN Women and organizations around the world in this initiative. With solutions that touch 77% of all worldwide business transactions, 51风流understands its responsibility to champion sustainability throughout all sides of the听 business. With this in mind, the company has targets and initiatives in place to be carbon neutral by 2023 and ensure 30% of its leadership positions are filled by women by the end of 2022. 51风流also creates innovative solutions that allow customers to implement greener and more inclusive business practices.

One of these customers is Queen of Raw, led by CEO Stephanie Benedetto. Benedetto identified the challenges of waste and pollution caused by the fashion industry and created a global marketplace that allows users to list, sell, and buy deadstock fabric. With the help of SAP, Queen of Raw uses supply chain software powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to drive sustainability at scale and empower textile vendors around the world with the access to resources.

Stories like these remind us how important it is to think about sustainability through the lens of gender equity. Through the power of partnership and opportunity, Benedetto and her company have already saved more than 1 billion gallons of water and are paving the path toward a sustainable future.

We cannot build a better world for future generations unless we continue empowering each other with the support needed to tackle the big issues. Only with equal opportunities for all can we stand together with a unified approach to save our planet.

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Women are not only involved, they are taking charge of sustainability initiatives with innovative solutions that address climate risk. UN Women — the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women — recognizes that it is more important than ever to honor these achievements.

SAP鈥檚 recognition and celebration of International Women鈥檚 Day听 2022 underscores the theme: 鈥�Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow.鈥�

Together with the global Business Women鈥檚 Network (BWN) and UN Women, 51风流will celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day with employees, customers, and partners on March 8.

The BWN is an employee-driven network at 51风流that helps women advance their careers and the company’s business. By sharing professional insights, best practices, education, and experience, BWN helps develop skills and career-advancing opportunities to drive SAP’s success. The network strives to make a global impact with the help of more than 90 chapters and over 15,000 members worldwide.听

Join us to hear from compelling speakers about women empowerment and innovative technology that are key to enable a sustainable future for all of us.

The conference will begin with remarks from Sabine Bendiek, chief people and operating officer and member of the Executive Board of 51风流SE.

A keynote session by Supriya Jha, chief diversity and inclusion officer at SAP, and Daniel Seymour, director for UN Women鈥檚 Strategic Partnerships Division, will follow.

The agenda also includes eminent speakers from various organizations and from SAP, including Sindhu Gangadharan, senior vice president and managing director of 51风流Labs India, and Julia White, chief marketing and solutions officer and member of the Executive Board of 51风流SE.

• Change Makers: Women Empowering a Sustainable Future
  Tuesday, March 8
  7:00 a.m. PT | 10:00 a.m. ET | 4:00 p.m. CET | 8:30 p.m. IST
  

Before COVID-19, that might have meant interacting with colleagues at the office differently or supporting corporate initiatives . But since COVID-19, work and home have been happening in the same place. To challenge gender inequality at work also means addressing it in the home.

As part of the launch event for , I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion last month devoted to just this issue. It turned out to be one of the most candid panel discussions of my career. Out of the nearly 300 attendees (90% of whom were working parents), we heard again and again that they are exhausted, overwhelmed, lonely, and grieving for the loss of their pre-pandemic lives.

We鈥檝e seen it in the recent article 鈥溾�� in The New York Times: working parents — mothers in particular — are in crisis. My fellow panelists and I, all mothers ourselves, found ourselves trading war stories of the past 11 months.

Our discussion was in the spirit of the times when work and life are all mashed together. Nobody checked any part of themselves at the door. Listening to the questions from the attendees and the answers from the panel felt more like a late-night discussion among friends. But the friends in this case also happened to be on my shortlist of trailblazing women in business. At the event were fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff; Katya Libin, founder of ; Joan Nguyen, founder of ; and Blessing Adesiyan, founder of .

The program provides special offers, resources, and content to make life easier for parents trying to juggle it all in the tough times of COVID-19. We鈥檝e launched in cooperation with the because we realize that working parents are facing unprecedented pressures and companies need to do more to help.

To kick off this incredible partnership, our panel talked about all things parenting, working from home, and juggling it all. I found myself taking notes just so I could incorporate these solutions into my own life. Here are some of my favorite gems from the conversation.

Plan for Fun

One of the complaints of working moms is that they never get a moment to rest their minds from the work of planning and coordination, even at the end of a long workday. So suggesting a bit more planning might seem counterintuitive. But setting aside time each night for a specific activity, like arts and crafts, letter writing, or game night, and letting the whole family know in advance does two things. It gives the kids — and grown-ups — something to look forward to.

Adeysian shared, 鈥淎s my 11-year-old said, it was like an Advent calendar that extended into January.鈥� One other effect of planning for fun? It gives the kids a sense of structure and predictability, which can counteract any anxiety they might be feeling in these unpredictable times. We might be spending all our time together, but that doesn鈥檛 always mean it鈥檚 quality time.

Give Some of Your Time to Others

How can making even less time for yourself have a positive impact? Because it can boost what Libin called “ROE” or return on energy. We spend 15 minutes chasing down a toddler so they can put on their shoes or take their medicine, and we might feel drained. We spend time giving career advice to another working parent who might need it, and we can feel restored.

As Libin said, 鈥淚n these times where many of us can feel isolated or absorbed in our own struggles, we can take the time, whether it鈥檚 five minutes or 30, to share our expertise and give back. What we鈥檝e seen from the community at HeyMama is that it leaves people feeling renewed and connected.鈥�

Go Easy on Yourself

This was the note the whole panel ended on and it seemed like the point everybody had been trying to get to. When we say , we have to acknowledge that best means something different for every parent. But there is one thing it doesn鈥檛 mean for any parent, and that鈥檚 perfect. It was a relief to hear, even from such an accomplished panel, that there are days when they don鈥檛 feel like they鈥檙e getting anything right. Especially for moms, it鈥檚 common to feel like you鈥檙e not getting work right because you鈥檙e thinking about your kids and you鈥檙e not getting parenting right because you鈥檙e thinking about work.

As an alternative to worrying, the whole panel offered up this advice: Focus on what you can do and stop wasting time and energy thinking of everything you should do. Allow yourself to be imperfect. 鈥淕ive yourself some grace,鈥� is the way Adesiyan phrased it. After she spoke, you could feel everybody on the video chat exhale.

If we鈥檙e going to enlist the help of companies in the struggles of working parents, the first thing we鈥檝e got to encourage is a new mindset, one in which we extend some grace to one another because we see the bigger picture. We鈥檝e got to stop thinking of employees as assets and think of the whole employee and their whole experience of work and life together.

The demographics of the attendees were a window into just how widespread the struggles of working parents are. Of the event attendees, most had about two children. They came from 30 different industries and 75 different cities in at least three countries, and 86% of them said their responsibilities had increased because of COVID-19. The struggle of working parents during a pandemic is real, but so is the opportunity for everybody — from working parents to their employers — to take action.

The pieces of advice here are just the tip of the iceberg. For parents, they are small steps toward feeling safer and more engaged. For leaders who share this advice with the teams, it鈥檚 a step toward smarter, more resilient business environments.

To learn more about how you can improve your own experience as a working parent or how to help working parents you know or employ, visit the website.

April Crichlow is global vice president and head of Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

At the current rate of change, to achieve gender parity, an unacceptable timeline in today鈥檚 modern world. Increasing women鈥檚 participation in the labor market will play a large role in achieving gender parity, and it will not only lead to more , more companies, but on a global scale it could add up to — or 26% — to the global GDP. The math is simple and we cannot afford to continue to overlook half the population, especially in the field of data science, one of the .

Amid the current pandemic, women are facing even more barriers in the workforce as they manage their professional lives while taking care of the children and overseeing many of the household duties. At SAP, we recognize the value of in the workforce, especially women in technology, where historically, women face underrepresentation. One of the fields where this is particularly prominent is data science: only . This staggering statistic inspired 51风流to become a trusted collaborator and sponsor of Stanford University鈥檚 (WiDS) initiative since 2016.

Women in Data Science

As a technology company that employs data scientists worldwide, we want to address why few women are embarking on careers in data science and why few women are advancing into data science leadership roles. Despite the value of a technology skill set, studies on the future of work show the increasing demand for among employers. Studies show than men when it comes to emotional intelligence, reinforcing the need to foster female leaders across every industry, including data science. At SAP, we strongly support the WiDS mission 鈥渢o inspire and educate data scientists worldwide, regardless of gender, and to support women in the field.鈥�

鈥淒ata science is becoming ever more critical in the world as data-driven decision-making has penetrated many parts of our society,鈥� said Margot Gerritsen, professor at Stanford University and co-director of WiDS.听 鈥淎s our reliance on data and investments in this field continue to increase, it is critical that women, and people from all genders, have a clear seat at the decision table and share in the wealth creation, all around the globe. Through our conferences, workshops, datathon, podcasts, and education initiatives, we hope to expand the role of women and accelerate their representation in the field.鈥�

The WiDS Worldwide Conference, spearheaded by Stanford University, kicks off on International Women鈥檚 Day, March 8. The event will follow the sun, spotlighting incredible female data scientists working on innovative technology across business, academia, government, and nonprofits.

鈥淚t is great to see how many amazing and inspiring women this event brings together from all over the world. Female role models are crucial in fostering female leadership in the field of data science. They show the next generation what is possible to achieve, and that is very powerful,鈥� shared Dr. Katharina Sch盲fer, global head of 51风流University Alliances. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see Karina Edmonds, a globally recognized visionary leader in the field of innovation, technology transfer, and commercialization, represent 51风流at the WiDS Worldwide Conference, where she will share how data science education can effectively empower future leaders to tackle big global and environmental challenges.鈥�

On the sideline of the global event, 51风流will host a regional event in New York City that will take place virtually, bringing together data-driven business professionals, students, and aspiring data scientists to explore 鈥�.鈥�

The NYC regional event will kick off a 鈥淲iDS @ SAP鈥� regional series on that will run throughout the course of the year. This series will include virtual events based in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.听 The worldwide and regional events will feature prominent 51风流data scientists, including Dr. Fei-Yu Xu, global head of Artificial Intelligence in Innovation; Dr. Susanne Beckers, head of Infused Intelligence in Intelligent Data and Analytics; and Dr. Sarah Detzler, competence lead for Data Science and Machine Learning in Technical Presales.

Diversity and Inclusion at SAP

To embed diversity and inclusion even further into the culture of SAP, we are committed to ensuring that our workforce better reflects the diversity of society and the customers we serve. We also aim to increase the number of women in leadership roles to 30% by 2022. Women currently make up 43% of the Intelligent Data & Analytics team at 51风流and 26% of its leadership team, with an increasing trend over the last 12 months. This sets a strong example for the company and reinforces the trajectory toward a more representative workforce.

鈥淓ach hire we make at SAP, from our working students and interns, to our early talents, to our professionals and executives, needs to embody curiosity and compassion,鈥� said Jenn Prevoznik, global leader, Early Career Talent Attraction, SAP. 鈥淗iring managers and recruiters look for candidates鈥� ability to code. As a technology company, many of our open roles target individuals with a technology skill set. We value our partnership with WiDS and actively leverage the events to attract and hire top talent to SAP. I challenge all managers to make every day International Women鈥檚 Day and be intentional about who you hire. In recruiting, we invest heavily in increasing the number of women and underrepresented groups in the pipeline. We need all hands on deck to move the needle.鈥�

Join WiDS @ SAP

Register for the on March 8 and the regional events happening throughout the year as we #ChoosetoChallenge the status quo and discover ways to foster female leaders in data science.

Christian Hecker is global vice president and chief data and analytics officer at SAP.
Dr. Karina Edmonds is vice president and global head of 51风流Academies and 51风流University Alliances.

DaSilva was justifiably proud of the impressive results of the program, which she and Rohit Tripathi, head of Products and Go-to-Market for , detailed in a .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNJiIkydBIg&feature=youtu.be

DaSilva credited the program鈥檚 success to its unique combination of education, community services, and mobile technology.

鈥淗aving a platform to identify, report, and address the pressing issues of rape, human trafficking, and other violence against females, many of whom are children, we鈥檙e raising awareness that there are organizations like ours with the services we provide,鈥� DaSilva said.

Mobile Speeds Up Healthcare Intervention

Since incorporating the听 into its Gatekeepers project, WARIF has trained more than 500 traditional birth attendants from 15 local government areas across Lagos State to use the software. Many report cases in real time, speeding up healthcare team responses.

鈥淲e鈥檙e getting active cases faster, allowing us to intervene more quickly and in real time, which we couldn鈥檛 do before,鈥� 听DaSilva shared. 鈥淲e constantly hear positive testimonials from traditional birth attendants, as well as the women and girls they鈥檝e helped.鈥�

WARIF participated in design thinking workshops with SAP, where they collaborated to make sure the mobile platform met the unique needs of healthcare providers working in the remote communities.

鈥淲orking together, we made certain that birth attendants 鈥� regardless of where they were 鈥� would be able to easily consume this service without having to compromise on any of the functionalities,鈥� Tripathi said. 鈥淭his also helped us in enhancing the service.鈥�

Replacing Silence with Community of Support

On top of the stigmatization of gender-based violence, healthcare providers in Nigeria also grapple with cultural norms.

鈥淭he perpetrator is usually well-known and might even be a family member,鈥� said DaSilva. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 talk about these issues in families and most communities across Nigeria because the concern is more about protecting the dignity of that family name as opposed to making sure this young survivor gets adequate care.鈥�

DaSilva credited 51风流People Connect 365听 with helping to upend traditions of silence around sexual abuse. The text messaging platform fosters ongoing conversations among healthcare providers and others across WARIF鈥檚 education and community service programs. For example, traditional birth attendants now engage more with each other at monthly meetings and through social media chat groups, incorporating information about identified cases in the field.

鈥淭raditional birth attendants are sharing problems they ordinarily wouldn鈥檛 have had an opportunity to share, much less address, in a timely manner as they work in geographically remote areas,鈥� 听DaSilva said. 鈥淭he fact that we train them encourages these supportive relationships and helps all of us put a spotlight on addressing problems.鈥�

Traditional Birth Attendants are Linchpin of Program Success

DaSilva stands behind WARIF鈥檚 original strategy to train local, traditional birth attendants in using the mobile software. That is because these healthcare providers are trusted by everyone, including the designated local leaders who adjudicate instances of abuse in many rural Nigerian communities.

鈥淲hen cases have been identified, we鈥檙e always very well-received when we present ourselves to the community gatekeepers in the various geographical areas we visit,鈥� 听DaSilva said. 鈥淭hey are happy for us to intervene because they have no knowledge or training on how to help. It鈥檚 usually a question of lacking a means of communication to obtain assistance, which we can now deliver.鈥�

Future Growth Plans

Undaunted by challenges such as power outages and community resource constraints, DaSilva said that WARIF is exploring plans to expand its reach with more community agencies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a totally rewarding experience, and not just because of the impact we鈥檝e been able to have due to the 51风流Digital Interconnect technology we鈥檝e received,鈥� DaSilva said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working with people who actually care and are willing to work with us so we can scale up and impact a wider group of women we ordinarily wouldn鈥檛 have access to.鈥�

Follow me: @smgaler
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Yet recent work by economist Robert H. Frank shows that behavioral or social contagion can occur through seemingly small individual actions. For example, when individuals commit to reducing their carbon footprint by eating one less burger a week, turning off unnecessary lights, or even buying a Prius, the environment benefits over time.

There are two main reasons for why these individual actions deliver societal impact. First, individual commitments add up; over time, our small actions change our long-term behavior. Second, gradually our behavioral changes shape our values and our interests, even impacting those around us in our homes, at our workplaces, and in our communities. They may lead us to vote, invest, influence policy, and advocate differently than we otherwise would have.

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day, #EachforEqual, is based on the same notion: collective individualism. It is the idea that we all are parts of a whole, and that “our individual actions, conversations, behaviors, and mindsets can have an impact on our larger society, and collectively we can each help to create a gender-equal world.”

We’ve already seen great examples of this throughout history. Rosa Parks sparked a movement that changed laws and our culture. More recently, Susan Fowler’s description of her time at Uber exposed a culture of misogyny and harassment, forcing a change at the company’s highest level.

At SAP, we each have the opportunity to change culture every day. Diversity and inclusion ambassadors all over the company work closely within their own business units to impact our culture. Individual employees act as agents of change and speak up when they see discrepancies in policies and practices. Those individual actions have helped change our parental leave policies, helped make our job descriptions more flexible, and led us to select more suppliers that meet our needs while supporting minority-owned businesses.

When the world’s challenges seem daunting and we feel helpless, we need to recognize that every dollar we spend, every micro-kindness we extend, every vote we cast, and every idea we voice has amplifying potential to move the needle.

What steps can you take to move the needle when it comes to gender equity?听 Here are just a few ideas:

• Ordering supplies, or hiring vendors? Take the time to find women or minority-owned businesses.
• Growing your workforce? Ensure you have a diverse slate of candidates and interviewers.
• Trying to retain the best talent and limit onboarding and training costs? Ensure men and women are being paid equally for the same roles.
• Designing a new business process? Consider using the persona of someone underrepresented in the business, such as a mother returning to work after an extended absence, and see how they would be impacted.
• Leading a meeting at work? Ensure everyone has a chance to speak. If they don鈥檛 volunteer, proactively ask each participant for their thoughts and perspectives. Express appreciation for each contribution.
• Trying to build your empathy muscle? Attend an event where you are the minority. Learn what it feels like to the “the only” at the table.
• Taking paternity leave? Be public about this choice and share that you are excited about having the time to bond and care for your newborn child. Blast it on social media like Chance the Rapper did.
• Managing a remote team? Use inclusive behaviors that nurture ownership and accountability so all team members experience a sense of belonging and have the same opportunity to contribute.
• Heading somewhere new in town? Imagine being blind or wheelchair-bound and ask yourself if the roads and sidewalks would work for you. If not, talk to local officials about how to change this.

Systemic inequity in government, the private sector, and society at large takes time and effort to fix. But in the words of Gandhi, we each need to be the change you want to see in the world.

As you reflect in the wake of International Women’s Day, think about embodying that change and do your part to spread social contagion.

Shuchi Sharma is global head of Gender Equality and Intelligence at SAP.

In 2007, she co-founded the Business Women鈥檚 Network (BWN) at SAP, a grassroots initiative that now has more than 10,000 members across 60 chapters. The network supports women in gaining new skills and pursuing successful career paths at SAP.

After studying business administration and physics, Christine first joined 51风流in 1994 as a retail management consultant. Over 26 years later, her passion for innovative technology has only grown and 鈥渆xceptional and exciting colleagues鈥� continue to motivate her throughout her journey at the company.

Regitz is a , a certified business coach and mediator, an honorary member of the presidium of the German Informatics Society, a member of the High-Level Advisory Committee of the European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT), and a member of the advisory board of CyberMentor.

In recognition of her new role as head of Women in Tech at SAP, I spoke with Regitz recently to get her thoughts on the power of women in tech as well as why it is so important to provide education and opportunities for other young women who are interested in a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Q: Did you always know you wanted to work in technology?

A: No, not really. But I always wanted to work in a very flexible environment and in an innovative industry. I was always eager to understand how things worked and to learn about innovative and upcoming new topics. So I guess it is just natural that I ended up in technology.

What was it like learning to code for the first time?

That was horrible, because it was at school in a voluntary course and the first programming language we learned was Assembler. Fortunately, after a very short period of time, we changed to Basic as our programming language and that was eye-opening.

You co-founded the Business Women鈥檚 Network at SAP. Why is this network important for the company?

The official launch was in January 2007. The network itself already was growing and existing before, not officially, but as a natural evolution from a series of gender awareness trainings organized by our head of Global Health, Natalie Lotzmann.

A primary goal of the network at that time was to show that gender diversity is an important topic, especially by gaining the attention of the Board, which was not easy in those days. Diversity was not even on the agendas of big corporations at all. I am very proud that we, through the BWN, put gender diversity on the agenda of 51风流and ignited a change in culture!

The BWN is so important, as it has today so many chapters that act locally according to the motto: “Think global, act local,” incorporating numerous events and actions that are incredibly valuable.

And 51风流is a corporate role model — to my knowledge, we were among the first companies to form a women鈥檚 network.

Why is it so important for more young girls to have access to a STEM education?

We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and this is all about technology. So each and every person should have a rock-solid STEM education in order to be part of this revolution and to understand how this will change the lives of all, as well as how we can — through technology — improve people鈥檚 lives!

What鈥檚 the most surprising thing you鈥檝e learned from your career in tech?

I never imagined that working in tech requires — besides a good technical foundation — two important skills: communication and teamwork.

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鈥淚 was one of two women that sat on the regulatory body that monitors Mexico鈥檚 telecom industry. It was a very masculine sector and a difficult environment to navigate,鈥� says Dr. Maria Elena Estavillo, an internationally recognized expert in telecommunications oversight and anti-trust issues.

As a result of her experiences, Estavillo founded , a group that advocates for women鈥檚 employment and advancement to the c-suite in information and communication technologies (ICT) professions across Mexico. 鈥淢ost of these issues are global, but Mexico is very challenged in this aspect,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we compare pay cap or participation in the workforce, we lag behind many countries, including those in Latin America.鈥�

To fight this, Conectadas offers mentorship and campaigns for recruiting policies and procedures that encourage women鈥檚 participation in the ICT workforce.

Estavillo is not alone and the problems she has identified run deep. is a not-for-profit organization that helps women enter the digital economy with training and job placement support. In collaboration with SAP, the organization produced a study, 鈥�The future is diverse: Women in technology industries in Mexico.鈥� The report found that Mexico falls behind other countries in several key categories.

Araceli Campos, Laboratoria鈥檚 country manager for Mexico, shares, 鈥淢achismo is very present in the workforce. We have very strong anti-discrimination laws but there鈥檚 a lack of compliance.鈥� For example, during interviews men ask women if they are pregnant or plan to start a family soon. In fact, 35 percent of the country鈥檚 population believes men are more suitable for jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to a study published by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Furthermore, while Mexican women have achieved parity in educational achievement, the study reports, 鈥渧ery few women are completing university degrees in technology.鈥� Even when women focus on STEM, the quality of Mexico鈥檚 math and science education 鈥� and education overall 鈥� is comparatively low, receiving a score of 2.8 out of seven from the . The impact? Mexican women are less prepared than men to enter the technology sector.

As a result of cultural biases and subpar education, women are underemployed, particularly in tech-related jobs. Campos says, 鈥淲hat makes Mexico unique is that overall women鈥檚 participation in the labor market is 47 percent, whereas men are at 83 percent. And 31 percent of women under 24 don鈥檛 participate at all.鈥�

To put it in perspective, women comprise 70 percent of the workforce in other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. It gets worse when it comes to tech: Across Latin America, women represent one in 10 technology workers; in Mexico, it is one out of eight.

For Campos, this means women miss out on a huge economic opportunity: 鈥淏y 2025, it鈥檚 estimated that we鈥檒l need 1.25 million developers in Latin America. Laboratoria is founded on the belief that we need to build a world that equally distributes opportunities for the digital age.鈥�

Moreover, excluding women results in high costs to Mexico鈥檚 economy and private sector. 鈥淚f the gender gap in Mexico鈥檚 workforce was closed, it could increase the GDP for Mexico by ,鈥� Campos says.

51风流agrees that companies suffer without diversity, which is why it partnered with Laboratoria to advance women鈥檚 standing in STEM and co-create the study. Raquel Macias heads up Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for 51风流Mexico. She says, 鈥淲ithout women, it鈥檚 hard to build products that appeal to a broad base of consumers. It鈥檚 been well documented that companies with more women have better, more innovative cultures and higher profits.鈥�

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Steps Companies Can Take to Bolster Women鈥檚 Participation in the Digital Economy

To make this change, Laboratoria partners with companies like 51风流to create lasting impact. 鈥淲e realized for systemic change to happen, working with women was only part of it,鈥� Campos says. 鈥淲e also needed to work with the companies, because it involves a change of mindset, change of culture.鈥�

What are some concrete steps technology companies can take to be more inclusive and equal? Campos recommends that companies actively hire women. 鈥淧eople say 鈥榃e posted but no women applied.鈥� But you need to look at the wording of the job posting 鈥� men apply if they meet half the criteria but women won鈥檛,鈥� she says, 鈥淵ou need to go the extra mile.鈥�

Moreover, companies must establish policies to retain and develop talent. But for new rules to work, a new culture must take root.

鈥淲e need a different culture inside companies and to build the narrative for why diversity matters,鈥� Campos explains, which includes offering tools to help leaders navigate the complexity that diversity brings and encouraging them to keep an open mind. 鈥淓xecutives need to be okay with vulnerability, with not knowing all the answers as we figure out this massive change.鈥�

Both 51风流and Laboratoria recommend that all actors need to come together including the media, government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private companies. Each plays an important role in creating lasting change. Campos points to its relationship with 51风流and the 51风流CSR team as evidence.

鈥�51风流shows real commitment to this issue,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd as a leader in gender diversity, 51风流influences and inspires the industry. That means a lot of people will follow 鈥� and that is huge.鈥�

Images via Laboratoria