Blog: International Women's Day at DHCW
8 March 2022
This week, Digital Health and Care Wales is celebrating International Women’s Day, a globally recognised event to commemorate the cultural, political and socioeconomic achievements of women across the world. The theme for this year is #BreakTheBias and we are being invited to imagine a world free of bias, stereotype and discrimination.
The technology industry, like many others, still has a long way to go to achieve gender parity. At DHCW, we are proud to celebrate the talented women within our organisation, who make up 40% of our workforce and 55% of our Board, while also acknowledging there is always more work to do to bridge the equality and inclusivity gap further.
A bias can represent something different for everyone, but understanding its impact and taking action to look beyond it could help us build a more equal and diverse society. We asked some of our colleagues at DHCW about what International Women’s Day and the #BreaktheBias theme means to them.
Helen Thomas, Chief Executive Officer – “For me, #breakthebias means breaking the misconception that you have to choose between being a great mother and excelling at your job. Women are authentic, courageous and can succeed at doing it all”.
Byroni Keighley, Information Support Officer - “I’m inspired by Krissy Cela, a fit tech entrepreneur and CEO of two companies. Krissy focused on finding strength from within and working to become the ‘best version of yourself, for yourself’. Krissy teaches women that the most important relationship you are ever going to have is with yourself, and provides support for women to explore this and encourage their strength.”
Chris Darling, Board Secretary – “I’ve worked for and with some amazing women who have inspired and shaped my career. Today is International Women's Day. A more diverse, equal and inclusive workforce is a more effective workforce. Bias, whether deliberate or unconscious, can make it more difficult for women to succeed.”
Shikala Mansfield, Head of workforce and operational development – “I would love to #breakthebias that women direct towards themselves. We can often be our own worst enemy, thinking that we can’t and therefore not trying. We behave within the parameters of our own belief, which have been shaped by our culture and our upbringings”.
Laura Tolley, Corporate Governance Support Manager – “I am inspired and lucky enough to have been brought up with very strong female characters in my family who have shown me that, as working mothers you can achieve anything you put mind to, even in very male dominated environments. As a mum, I want my daughters to believe they can follow any career path, and I want my son to believe the same thing for them too.”
As an organisation, we are committed to championing gender equality. We want to see a more equal Wales, where women are visible and influential across all sectors of the economy, society and in public life.