Saying that today is International Women’s Day is great. And saying "Happy International Women’s Day" to a friend or colleague is wonderful. But, maybe, not quite enough to fulfil the intent of the day!

IWD means that today we celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world, while also recognizing the challenges that they still face in achieving gender equality. IWD is a day to raise awareness of gender bias and discrimination and to promote gender parity in all aspects of society.

For many of us in the community who are gearing up for the “craic agus ceol” for Saint Patrick's Day, IWD might fade into a slightly green-tinged background!

If it has, then I am asking you to take just a moment, one day this week, to do something intentional towards furthering the objective of IWD. That something might be to answer our IJCC DEI survey (the link at the bottom of the page), it might be as small as doing a task at home that your female partner usually ends up doing. Or as big as deciding to put the weight of your position in the company behind the idea of a woman on your team. Whatever you decide to do, we would be delighted to hear about it.

The IJCC recently created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee, and this year, this article is our way of marking IWD. It’s small but we are on the path.

If you would like to join us or have any suggestions please let us know. Either through the survey or by contacting DEI Committee Manager brietta.oleary [at] ijcc.jp (Brietta O'Leary )

IJCC DEI Survey

Happy International Women’s Day!