Celebrating International Women’s Day

March 8 was International Women’s Day! It is a great opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the contributions and successes of women around the world.    International Women’s Day dates back to the early twentieth century and has been officially recognized by the United Nations since 1975. The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Each for Equal,” meaning an equal world is an enabled world.    We are all responsible for our own thoughts and actions to challenge stereotypes, disrupt bias, expand our views to create positive experiences, and celebrate women’s achievements.    At NetApp, we believe equality is a business opportunity. Today we celebrate and recognize the acts of leadership, bravery, and drive of all, both women and allies who strive to create a gender-equal world. 

Susan Cooney, NetApp’s Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, shares below why equality in the workplace creates a competitive advantage for organizations and actions we can all take to create equal and equitable workplace environments. 

We know that diverse teams drive better business outcomes... From improved customer success to better decision-making. Companies that are intentional about creating balanced teams deliver greater innovation, new revenue, and increased profitability.

• Practice curiosity to build trust, break down silos, and improve collaboration. 
• Take the time to ensure women get the credit they deserve and look for opportunities to acknowledge their contributions. 
• Share in the support functions of the business. 
• Seek out up-and-coming female leaders and offer to sponsor them.