IWD #EmbraceEquity
International Women’s Day 2023: #EmbraceEquity
March 8th of each year is International Women’s Day that celebrates women’s achievements, raises awareness for discrimination and takes action to drive gender parity. This year, the theme is #EmbraceEquity. The words “equality” and “equity” are often used interchangeably but there is a difference. Here is a helpful infographic from International Women’s Day to explain:
Image source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
Our Female Founders
Balance + Glo is a female-founded business that employs many female instructors and professionals. Community is at the core of our business + so are women!
Since our launch in 2020, our founders Evelyn Joyce and Jenny Stewart have become mothers welcoming the challenge of parenthood and running a business. The majority of our members are women and our passion lies with supporting their wellbeing at all stages of life whether that be to calm a busy mind from university studies, strength classes to support hectic shift work, pregnancy yoga, or educational content on the menopause.
Supporting women at work
The concept of equity means that employers must provide extra support to pregnant or post-natal parents within the workforce. 440,000 women each year continue to work during their pregnancy and approximately 2/3 return to work soon after giving birth. Almost 1/2 of these women experience some form of disadvantage at work simply for being pregnant or taking maternity leave. (Equality and Human Rights Commission)
The corporate wellbeing arm of Balance + Glo has a key focus on supporting female employees through pregnancy and maternity leave by giving them access to wellbeing content that will help with their return to work and a new way of life. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship… for every £1 invested in workplace mental health interventions, employers can expect an average return of £5. (Deloitte)
The Bump + Beyond program
The Bump + Beyond program is an online wellness series that guides your employees through both pre and postnatal exercises, yoga, meditations, breath work and educational videos from a field of experts, including a women’s health physiotherapist, to help build confidence, gain strength and positivity throughout pregnancy and beyond.
“Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the same. To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality, companies need to go beyond table stakes.” (McKinsey)
Women are starting to demand more from their employers and are moving positions to get just that. If companies want to keep high calibre women in their workforce it is becoming increasingly more important for companies to prioritise flexibility, employee wellbeing, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). (Women in the Workplace 2022, Mckinsey)
“Young women are even more ambitious and place a higher premium on working in an equitable, supportive, and inclusive workplace. They’re watching senior women leave for better opportunities, and they’re prepared to do the same.”
Choice is critical
For women that are juggling busy home and work lives, choice is critical. Our Bump + Beyond program is entirely online with most of the classes falling between 10-20 minutes. The variety of content and the efficiency of access means that you, as an employer, can support from afar. It is reported that women that have the choice of remote or on-site working are happier in their jobs, less burnt out, and less likely to consider leaving.
Supporting the return to work
Even pre-pandemic the statistics on women returning to work and the difficulties they encountered were alarming. 70% of women with children under 18 reported finding it tricky to return to work. (FlexJobs Survey)
No big life change change is easy but our Bump + Beyond program aims to ease this transition. The wealth of information from Women’s Health Physios and specialist coaches is not only on the Online Platform but here on the Isle of Wight. We run monthly Brunch Clubs to get pregnant and new mothers together in community, to learn and share their experiences.
“Brunch Club has been a lifeline as a new mum. It got me out of the house in the first few weeks and created a friendly, caring environment for the new mums. I’ve loved every club I’ve been to and learned a lot from the guest speakers. I love the relaxed atmosphere; it’s allowed me to chat to new people and make new friends.” - Kirsty
Our next Brunch Club is Tuesday 28th March with Katie from Isle of Wight Natal Care.Environment of support
Ultimately, the greatest help we can give to pregnant or new mothers whether that be friends, family or employees is an environment of support. It’s an incredibly de-stabilising life transition but a beautiful one. Employee wellbeing programs can help those that work for you feel valued and safe. This International Women’s Day, we encourage you to #EmbraceEquity and offer that support within your workforce.
“It’s been fantastic to have access to Balance + Glo through my employer during my pregnancy, I’ve been able to keep moving during my lunch breaks with in-person yoga, and as my bump has grown, I've found the online Bump + Beyond yoga classes perfect for a post-work stretch and relaxation. Being based on the Isle of Wight, there are not many options for antenatal groups, so being able to take the time out of my working day to join Brunch Clubs has been a wonderful opportunity to meet other new mums and mums-to-be.”
- Laura, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
To enquire about our Corporate Well-being Programs email Evelyn at evelyn@balanceandglo.comSources:
Pregnancy and Maternity Related Discrimination and Disadvantage. Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2022.
Equality versus Equity. International Women’s Day, 2023
Women in the Workplace 2022. McKinsey, 2022.
Mental Health and Employers: Refreshing the case for investment. Deloitte, 2020
Survey: Lack of Flexible Work Keeps Moms from Staying in the Workforce. FlexJobs, 2019.
