Mo Sisters #BreakTheBias this International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day we asked some of our inspiring Mo Sisters what the day means to them and how we can all help #BreakTheBias.
With our dapper exterior, it may surprise you to know that the world’s leading men’s health charity, Movember, consists of 51% women in the workplace. This International Women’s Day we want to thank every one of our brilliant, hard-working Mo Sisters for showing up as their full selves at Mo HQ.
Within our hairy walls, our Mo Sisters are running point on strategy and operations, leading and inspiring teams, pushing creativity to its limits, managing complex global workflows, and supporting our community to stop men from dying too young. And that’s only scratching the surface - without them, Movember wouldn’t be here.
To help #BreakTheBias we asked a few of our inspiring Mo Sisters to join the conversation.
Movember CEO Michelle Terry, remembers that in her first executive leadership role, she was the only woman in a team of 14. “Sometimes I felt excluded from conversations and occasions. It was also suggested by more than one peer that I was promoted as an act of tokenism.”
That only inspired Michelle to work harder and build relationships, leading to a CEO position that’s anything but tokenistic. “Women’s rights and roles have come so far over the past century,” she says, “but there is still more to do to educate women and girls, provide equal opportunity, and stop bias and violence against women.”
Rachel Carr, Movember Country Director Asia-Pacific, proudly recognises, “Being a woman is an absolute asset in any environment or situation. This is a lesson I’ve learnt from many inspiring women (and men) in my life.”
To #BreakTheBias, Rach encourages women to “Step forward and lead with authenticity – even if ‘leader’ isn’t in your job title. Be kind, back yourself, and be open to the idea that failure is an opportunity to learn and grow."
For others looking to #BreakTheBias Amanda Green, Movember Chief People Officer, describes how in the past, “when others made assumptions about my abilities based on my gender or age, I saw it was an opportunity to be curious rather than combative.”
Anne-Cécile Berthier, Movember Country Director UK & Europe, encourages “all women to believe in themselves for what they are, not what they think people want them to be.”
And lastly, Movember’s Chief Operations Officer Angela Webster, highlights that “All leaders, men and women, have a responsibility to build the confidence of emerging female leaders and to encourage them to take the next leap in their career.” She reflects that “even if it feels slightly uncomfortable - it usually works out as a success!”
To change the face of men’s health, we strongly believe that all voices are important, and organisations like Movember need to be visible in our support of women. Women have helped shape Movember, and we couldn’t be prouder of this fact. So, here’s to you Mo Sisters - thanks for havin’ fun and doin’ good, and for changing the face of men’s health.
#WomenInLeadership #IWD2022