SMASHING THE BIAS FOR WOMEN IN OSH
The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘break the bias’. We ask nine women in the OSH profession how we can create a world free of discrimination.
Two years into the pandemic and its impact on gender equality around the world is clear. The sectors most affected by COVID-19 and associated restrictions – health and social care, retail, hospitality and domestic work – have mostly female workforces. Women have faced an unprecedented rise in workload, health risks and changes to work/life balance (European Commission, 2021).
Despite little change in levels of bias against women in the past 12 months, there have been efforts to tackle gender stereotypes and discrimination. ‘It’s been great to see conversations, plans and actions across many organisations to reduce gender bias,’ says Fayola Francis, IOSH equality diversity and inclusion lead. ‘Unfortunately, the pandemic has brought new challenges.’
International Women’s Day highlights the great work that women are doing around the world to break through the glass ceiling, according to Ellis Fenwick, safety, health and environmental adviser at Luminate Education Group. ‘We’re seeing more women in roles of power, which is hopefully contributing to dispelling gender bias,’ she says.
The day is also an opportunity to reflect on the contributions women make to OSH. IOSH magazine spoke to nine female leaders across the globe to find out more.
