INTERNATIONAL

WOMENS DAY
ACT I O N K I T

#BALANCE
FORBETTER
08.03.19
 INTRODUCTION
INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY
International Women’s Day (IWD) is held each year on 8th March and is celebrated in
many countries around the world.

IWD is a day when all women are recognised for their achievements. It is also a day to
identify actions that every person can take to help drive better outcomes for women.

IWD has been observed since the early 1900’s and is a collective day of global
celebration of women’s achievements, as well as a call for gender parity.

Through meaningful celebration and targeted bold action, we can all be responsive and
responsible leaders in creating a more gender inclusive world.

IWD is an important opportunity to:

celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women because
visibility and awareness help drive positive change for women

declare bold actions you’ll take as an individual or organisation to help progress the

gender agenda because purposeful action can accelerate gender parity across the world

“The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any
one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights,” says
world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist Gloria Steinem. Thus
International Women’s Day is all about unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy and action
- whatever that looks like globally at a local level. But one thing is for sure, International
Women’s Day has been occurring for well over a century - and continue’s to grow from
strength to strength.
WHY THE NEED TO
CELEBRATE?
Recent years have seen a
huge increase in the number
of individuals, organisations
and communities around the
world celebrating IWD. There
is growing recognition gender
equality affects us all, and
that we need to push for more
female representation at all
levels of business.
?
Research indicates organisations that
The gaming industry has a responsibility
to increase women’s participation in the
workforce. By doing so, the tangible and
positive impacts on an organisation’s
culture and operations include increased
efficiency, productivity, innovation, creativity
and improved employee engagement.

It is important to celebrate the success and

achievements of women and give credit
where credit is due. There are many ways
to do this; and we can start by intentionally
making an effort to notice the contributions
respect and value the diversity brought
of the women we work with - call out their
by both women and men are better able
great ideas and continue to credit them
to attract and retain high performers
later.
and improve operational performance.
Employees are likely to remain with an
Over time, IWD has become a day to
organisation when there is a proactive effort
reflect on progress, to call for change and
in advancing diversity practices.
to celebrate the courage and determination
of the women who changed history. It is
It’s crucial for not only business leaders to
also an opportunity to unite, network and
be conscious of this, but for us all to have
mobilise for meaningful change.
an awareness and be active in our effort to
support female colleagues.
 #BALANCE
FORBETTER
08.03.19
 2019 INTERNATIONAL
WOMEN’S DAY THEME
This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is
#BalanceforBetter

Collective action and a shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key.
To accelerate gender-balance, we need to take an inclusive approach, with each person
become an agent of change. We all have a part to play in making a positive difference for
women everywhere.

Last year, Australia ranked 35th in the world for gender equality. Some of the major contributing
factors for such dismal figures included lack of economic and professional opportunity for
women.

The latest report from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows that the number of
females in gaming that make up senior leadership teams is up slightly from 2017, from
20.8% to 21.5% but only 5.9% of CEOs are females; down from 7.1% in 2017.

We need to unite as an industry, show our support and celebrate the achievements of
women in gaming. In an industry which is, and is seen as largely dominated by men, it is
critical that we collectively harness our power to create change to ensure we are recognising,
appreciating and utilising the unique insights that come from diversity of experiences, skills,
background and thought.

Collectively, we can make a difference. Balance drives a better working world. Let’s all help
create a #BalanceforBetter.
1
HOW TO CELEBRATE
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
Promote IWD and gender diversity more broadly within your

2
organisation. This could be something as simple as sending an
all staff email acknowledging IWD and encouraging employees
to wear a splash of purple in solidarity (or sharing this IWD
action kit).

Promote your female talent with a #BalanceForBetter

campaign. Interview your female employees about their

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achievements and what they bring to the workplace.
Encourage your male allies to contribute as well by highlighting
their female colleagues’ successes. You could compile a Q&A
which can be distributed to all staff via a blog, video reel, or you
could even hold a live panel for all staff to attend.

Bring together small groups of experienced leaders with

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female team members and discuss career aspirations, how to
overcome challenges facing women in the workplace and their
leadership journeys. You could do this over a lunch and learn
session, a walk and talk in the fresh air, or a coffee and catch
up.
Commit to an action for gender equality on WGA’s
commitment cards. You could create a commitment card wall
at work, share your commitments on social media or profile

5
some of your female talent and their achievements. Whatever
you choose to do, share and
publicize it as far and wide as
you can.

Show your visible support

of #WGA through social
media. Let your followers
and connections know that
you are supporting #IWD
and how your organisation is
celebrating.
 6
7
Host a networking event. These types of events, especially for
IWD, are great for women to connect, increase their
networks, empower each other and share knowledge.

8
Profile some of your amazing female talent on your website,
intranet, social media channels, or via an all staff email. Highlight
their career journey, how they got to where they are today and
any advice they would give younger women starting out in the
gaming industry.

9
Distribute ‘Women in Gaming’ lapel
pins to your employees to wear as a
sign of solidarity and commitment.

Order on wga.org.au

10
Host an event with speakers from the gaming industry focusing
on the achievements of women and discuss the work that is yet
to be done. Strive for gender balance by encouraging your male
colleagues to attend.

Organise a roundtable and discuss industry-specific

challenges that women face, how these can be overcome,
and how your workplace can be more inclusive.

However you choose to celebrate IWD, make sure you engage

all of your employees to join in the celebration! One of the
biggest mistakes companies make with women’s initiatives is
only engaging women in the conversation.
 IN PROUD PARTNERSHIP WITH

Women in Gaming Australasia is an ACNC registered charity ABN 69 622 657 238 “WGA”. WGA believes the information in this document is correct at the
time of issue, but no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any way for errors or omissions. This action plan is aimed at
building awareness about International Womens Day and gender equality in the workplace.

© 2019 Women in Gaming Australia. All rights reserved