International Women's Day (IWD) is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. March 8th, 2021 is the day for accelerating gender parity and sparking meaningful narratives globally around gender bias and women’s achievements.
This year’s #ChooseToChallenge theme encourages participants to seek out and celebrate women by choosing to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality, aiming to collectively create an inclusive world.
To celebrate International Women’s Day at Add Energy, we reached out to our female employees in our Aberdeen, Perth (Australia) and North American offices and asked the team to share quotes and thoughts that inspire them as woman in business, to help communicate and promote what IWD means to them.
Here is what our team had to say…
Name: Jayne Copeland
Position: Data Scientist
Location: Aberdeen
Inspirational Quote:
"Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception."
~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Name: Afia McClenaghan
Position:Country Manager/BD Manager for North America
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Inspirational Quote:
"Being a woman in business and in a leadership role has been extremely rewarding and liberating.
As with most positions of leadership in this industry, it certainly comes with challenges and outside noise, but my favorite quote by Michelle Obama is “When they go low, we go high”. This quote to me says everything about acting with integrity and it is something I always have and always will live by."
Name: Sarah Wilson
Position: Bid Manager
Location: Aberdeen
Inspirational Quote:
“Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?”
~ Frida Kahlo, Artist/Icon for feminism and LGBTQ+ movements
"Frida’s words inspire us to spread our wings and to have the confidence in pushing ourselves. We must have the strength to challenge, as with challenge comes change."
Name: Melissa Plant
Position: Administration Manager
Location: Perth, Australia
Inspirational Quote:
"I #ChooseToChallenge and commit to call out bias and question stereotypes.
IWD is a call to action which we must promote for now and future generations as we strive for equality.
#ChooseToChallenge because you can but there are others who cannot."
Name: Carisser Wee
Position: Accountant
Location: Perth, Australia
Inspirational Quote:
“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand”
~ Oprah
Name: Lynn Shand
Position: Operations Team Lead
Location: Aberdeen
Inspirational Quote:
“There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take No for an answer.”
~ Rihanna
Name: Kirsten Stephen
Position: Discipline Engineer
Location: Aberdeen
Inspirational Quote:
"To me, being a woman in business represents the opportunity for women to make a difference to society and to help to address the challenges of the future."
Name: Veronica Laubscher
Position: Administrative Assistant
Location: Perth, Australia
Inspirational Quote:
“Kindness is contagious, pass it on! Be kind to the women on your journey, everyone is fighting their own battles.”