Use this toolkit to be inclusive in your recovery!

When I was seven years old, my teacher told my parents I was a ‘natural-born leader’. I cried all the way home thinking that meant I was bossy because I didn’t think girls could be leaders and not bossy, as per subtle societal norms. And that was while being surrounded by amazing, strong, powerful women who were proud feminists.

My upbringing is part of the reason why I am so interested in looking into gender equality in the workplace, and what led me to write my bachelor thesis on women in executive positions in the Dutch lodging industry. Through interviews, I had the opportunity to meet so many fabulous, hard-working, kind women who had made it work! And then I joined BR-ND People and was inspired by the women working here, with Kim embodying what I saw as success, having a purposeful job, a PhD and a wonderful family that she cares for. But I could very well imagine it had not come easy, and wanted to hear the perspectives within this environment. By talking to Kim, Veerle and Rome during a panel discussion, I heard different stories and paths of women. Based on that and my past research, I created a playbook in the form of a toolkit, which I proudly present to you now. It consists of four elements: creating awareness, rethinking the hiring process, reevaluating the reporting lines and creating brave spaces. 

Reflecting on it, I don’t think it will solve all the problems, far from that. The extent of the problem of gender inequality can be paralysing, so this toolkit aims to be a starting point, the spark that ignites the flame and transforms the way we do business. Yes, some amazing women are able to combine having a family life and a wonderful career, but the path is tough, the barriers are high and the business world unforgiving at times. It is dominated by middle-aged, white, cis-gender men who fit into the masculine norm of being competitive, boisterous, rational and constantly available. Very few people naturally fit into this category if we look at the entire population, yet we think it is the norm! That is the starting point. We need to challenge the status quo and ask ourselves, why? Why is this the norm? We are emotive beings with a need for a social life and connection. Companies should acknowledge that and embrace it as beautiful! This toolkit aims to do that, trigger a conversation, and have employees be human once again through the brave space intervention. Indeed, employees would be encouraged to be brave and open about the struggles they face, the interactions with their colleagues and the changes they are going through personally. My hope is that through this we can make a shift in the way we do business and lean slightly more towards real inclusivity. The path should not be as tough as it is now, we can make it easier, reduce some stress and hardships, it’s a matter of will. 

Now is a key moment in history to make this change, with the post-COVID recovery. Over the last year and a half, we have lost, on a worldwide scale, 36 years in achieving gender equality. Girls have been taken out of school, women dominated industries were hit the hardest, and home working has had its toll on women’s mental health, with more burnouts and increased self-doubt. Women around the world have to be included in creating a sustainable recovery and making it inclusive. So when you go back to the office, ask yourself this, do I want to be leading the positive change of making the workplace a better place for all? If you do and don’t know where to start, this toolkit is for you!

I hope this can help even just one company. If you do use it and would like to share your thoughts, questions or anything else, please reach out to me on welcome@br-nd.com I’d love to hear from you!