International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March every year to commemorate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The theme for International Women’s Day this year is #EmbraceEquity. Read about the various ways that CEL Solicitors strives to champion gender equity.
Equity vs Equality
Many confuse equity with equality, but there is a distinct difference, and it is important to recognise it.
Equality means that everybody is given the same resources and opportunities, regardless of their needs. In contrast, equity recognises that everyone has different needs that must be met to be able to succeed, and thus, level the playing field. This is often represented visually through images that show individuals standing on boxes of different heights to see over a fence.
Equality would mean that each person has a box to stand on, however, this doesn’t always provide an effective outcome. Equity involves allocating each person the specific resources and opportunities they need to see over the fence, regardless of their starting point.
“Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.” – Dr Naheed Dosani
Championing gender equity at CEL Solicitors
Equity is a must-have. To achieve gender equality, we must first recognise the need for gender equity.
At CEL Solicitors, we recognise the importance of empowering our female staff members and therefore, provide opportunities to support this. One of our ongoing initiatives is our female empowerment sessions, where keynote speakers and charities will come in to discuss topics such as equal pay, doulas, and confidence.
Read more: International Equal Pay Day – Guest Speaker, Andrea Edwards
Our diversity committee is instrumental in vocalising their opinions, arranging activities, and developing initiatives which ensure that equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is prioritised within the firm. As part of our commitment to EDI, we regularly attend conferences and training sessions on female leadership and anti-racism.
Our business structure means that female staff hold key leadership positions regardless of their professional background. As a female-led and female majority law firm, we strive to create a supportive environment where female voices are heard, and opportunities are available to all. There are no glass ceilings at CEL Solicitors.
#EmbraceEquity
For International Women’s Day, we gathered some of our staff to discuss what embracing equity means to them inside and outside of the workplace. You can watch the video here.
