Celebrating International Women's Day: Creating a More Gender-Inclusive World

Today is International Women’s Day: a day celebrated globally to recognize the important contributions of women throughout history and across nations. It is a day to recognize the importance of advocating for gender balance and to capture how far we have come. 

Today, women are slowly realizing their strengths and abilities, and they are ready to step out of their home, contributing to the success of their home and the entire society. They are indeed making the world turn heads towards them. Before it was not possible, but now it is a reality. 

Photo of four women bunched together smiling

Being raised by a single mom for a good part of my life – my father passed away when I was in college – I realize the struggles and sacrifices she made so that my brothers and I could have a good education and future. Her determination and pride in who she is, made her a role model for me. I also reflect on the fact that I am raising two daughters who are incredibly fortunate to live in a world where biases are being torn down each day and more and more opportunities are available to them.

I am grateful for all the women that I have the pleasure of working with every day at Catchpoint and the inclusive environment we strive to foster for all our employees. As such, I would also like to extend a special thank you to all our Catchpointers, customers and partners (men included), who are helping to create a more gender-inclusive world in their respective work. 

Photo of a group of women smiling around a restaurant table

This month we will be hosting a series of events for all our employees – a storytelling workshop, women’s history trivia (including Name that Dame), and making a financial contribution to Girls Who Code. Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip students who identify as girls and non-binary with the computing skills they need to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Our programs include free, virtual summer opportunities for high school students. 

Here are some additional readings and podcasts to inspire you: 

International Women’s Day: Books & Podcasts 

Highlighted Books: 

A Year of Self Motivation for Women: Daily Inspiration, Courage, and Confidence by Ashton August 

Empowering self-talk can boost your confidence and help you stay strong in the face of everyday challenges.This book is full of brief practices and reflections that inspire you to talk to yourself with kindness and develop a more positive mindset so you can truly thrive.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed The World  by Rachel Ignotofsky 

A charmingly illustrated and educational book, New York Times best seller Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world.

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez 

Caroline Criado Perez brings together for the first time an impressive range of case studies, stories, and new research from across the world that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten, and the profound impact this has on us all.

Park Avenue Summer by Renée Rosen 

It’s 1965 and Cosmopolitan magazine’s brazen new editor in chief—Helen Gurley Brown—shocks America and saves a dying publication by daring to talk to women about all things off-limits.

More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth 

Part-manifesto, part-memoir, from the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue, an exploration of what it means to come into your own—on your own terms.

A Woman in the Polar Night by Christine Ritter 

This rediscovered classic memoir tells the incredible tale of a woman defying society's expectations to find freedom and peace in the adventure of a lifetime.