A Celebration of Women: Reflections on International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month

By Nancy J. Di Dia, Americas, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Boehringer Ingelheim

The first International Women’s Day dates back to 1911, eleven years prior to the women’s suffragette movement. Today, the observance of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is more important than ever. Themed “Nevertheless, She Persisted:  Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination and Marginalization against Women,” this year’s celebration marks an era in which women are speaking up and heard.

Women are no longer only being viewed as the “Chief Executive Officers and Chief Operating Officers” of their households, but are also being recognized as strong leaders in the workforce and competitive candidates for seats in the C-suite. Moreover, women have trillions of dollars in buying power and are often the big-ticket decision makers for their families, loved ones as well as their employees.

It is an important time to reflect on the accomplishments of women in our economic global societies, and I am proud to see that women account for more than 35 percent of board members in Northern Europe. France tops all countries with women filling a whopping 43.4 percent of these seats on boards. Not even a decade ago, women accounted for a mere 10 percent on boards in France. However, in 2010, the country passed a quota law that accelerated the growth of female representation and shifted the entire country’s view on women in the workplace.

In the past, many hiring managers made assumptions about women’s abilities to perform in the workplace based on their domestic profiles—Do they have children? Will they have children? Are they strong and courageous enough to deal with hardships at work? Unknowingly, hiring managers often hold women to a higher standard than their male counterparts, and create bigger barriers to entry while disregarding critical factors to any prospective employee’s long-term success. Nevertheless, women have persisted!

Whether working to discover new medicines or developing the best talent, here at Boehringer Ingelheim, we strive to create an inclusive culture and a sense of belonging in all that we do. We have more than doubled our female representation in the U.S. at the senior ranks over the past 10 years thanks to strong commitment from current leaders who encourage female empowerment. Since 2007, we have put more than 100 women through local and global programs focused on women’s leadership development, and approximately 500 women through other award-winning leadership development programs. We are committed to equality and to the success of our female leaders and colleagues – past, present and future.

We are proud to say that more than half of our U.S. workforce today is comprised of smart, curious and driven female professionals. To all women who are taking charge of their careers, we salute and congratulate you on all your hard-earned achievements. We are honored to celebrate you this Women’s History Month and on this International Women’s Day. From my vantage point, the future presents nothing but bright possibilities for women everywhere.