IWD2020: Anjam Ara Akbar

We proud to be supporting International Women’s Day 2020. International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Whilst we all know that gender parity within the workplace has improved over the past decades, we all also know that there is still a long way to go.

We interviewed Anjam Ara Akbar, Senior Legal Director, Ethics and Compliance, EMEA at Dell. 

#IWD2020  #EachforEqual

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What does equality in the workplace look like for you?

The ideal workplace is one where roles at all levels in the organization are fairly represented by talent from all genders (he/she and everyone else on the spectrum). In my humble opinion, we need to take very deliberate action in order to achieve this ideal state of equality. We need “to be the change we wish to see” and so each and every one of us has a duty to collaborate with open minds on providing opportunities to the wealth of talent that is out there. I’ve never bought in to the excuse that “there is not enough female talent” – those wanting to cop out will always have an excuse to do so. There is an enormous amount of female potential just waiting to be tapped. And the time for it is now.

Do you feel social media has influenced a positive shift change for female leadership?

The ease with which we can follow female role models through social media addresses the gap of having visible female role models near you. The power of social media is its ability to have real time engagement with a large audience. Seeing these role models through social media, reading about their careers and the advice that they provide is a very powerful motivational experience. It is the connections that we make through our shared experiences that push us forward to greater achievements.  A social media network creates a safe space in which women can relate to other women and share real life stories about their careers. The more visibility there is around female leaders, the more normal it becomes to see women as leaders, for this reason social media has definitely influenced a positive shift change for female leadership.

Please note that all commentary and opinions provided are those of the individual, and not the organisation/company they are employed by.