This International Women’s Day, we’re “Investing in Women”.
We asked our colleagues to share how they invest in the women in their lives, their colleagues and themselves.
By investing in women, we can spark change and drive the transition towards a more equal world for all.
Thank you to our wonderful colleagues for sharing your time and thoughts with us…
I’m teaching my daughters the value of money by encouraging them to earn through part-time work. This will help them fund the lifestyle they want now they’re teenagers and gain confidence in the workplace.
I also follow my parent's advice to tuck something aside for them regularly, however small. It soon adds up and we’ll hand the investment over to them as young adults to they can learn how to invest and the value of doing so early on.
I keep an open-door policy; I make it known that I am eager to help. I create a space for those who want to share their challenges and need advice.
I’ve had colleagues, friends and family sit with me in all seasons of my life and make space for me to be honest about my thoughts and ambitions. When they made room for me, they also challenged me to be better and aspire to more.
I think women need to back themselves more. To do this, we need to have more confidence in our abilities, because let’s be honest… we’re great!
In our personal lives we should surround ourselves with people that encourage us to thrive. That should come from everyone, not just other women. I can’t miss this opportunity to say…women should invest in their future selves by investing their money wisely.
When my second son was born, I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the enhanced parental leave that Fidelity offers. To help my partner transition back to work, I opted to take the leave at the latter part of his first year so she could phase her return to work with the comfort of knowing I was looking after him at home.
We were both so grateful to have that opportunity.
Venture outside of your comfort zone, seek out mentors, put together goal lists, expand your knowledge and instead of shying away from opportunities you want, ask the question ‘why not me?’.
Different things may work for different women, but for me personally, I have found adopting a growth mindset has been transformative - it has allowed me to learn from challenges, take what is relevant from others’ stories, and find ways to develop myself.
There are many ways I try to invest in women.
Firstly, I try to build individual relationships and connections; to listen and try to understand what they are going through in that moment. This can be through formal mentoring schemes or through very informal interactions.
Secondly, I am very open about my struggles. If I’m finding the work-life balance hard or I feel like I am missing out on a social life because I work and am a mother, I talk about it.
Happy International Women’s Day to all our colleagues across the globe. Let’s continue to invest in women today, and every day.
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