Is Every Day Really Women's Day? Yes And No.

This week had a plethora of posts and articles on International Women's Day (IWD) that is celebrated on Mar 8. In fact, there are two blogs on the Cadence community page – one by Paul McLellan, and the other by Ashley Sneathen about the Cadence Women In Technology Scholarship Program.

I often hear people saying that every day is Women's Day. And yes, in a way it is - just like every day is Environment Day or Heart Day. You obviously have to care about women, the environment and your heart every day of the year. But what these "days" do is to bring attention to important issues that we often don't think about every day. IWD makes us pause to acknowledge, celebrate and give thanks to all those women in history who have fought for the rights that women enjoy today - the right to vote, work, and live in a more equal world. And that's why I particularly like this year's IWD theme - #EachForEqual. It captures what women want, the world over, irrespective of their economic or social circumstances - equality in rights, pay, and responsibilities. 

One example of the inequality that exists in terms of responsibilities makes its appearance at many panel discussions at events for women, at least in India - work-life balance. I have never understood why this is not discussed at panels which have male speakers, or where the bulk of the audience is male - as is the case for most technology-related events. Work-life balance is an issue for both partners, and if both men and women (mainly men!) embrace the spirit of #EachforEqual, we can evolve into a world where work-life balance is not just an issue that concerns women.

IWD at Cadence India

We had a series of events the whole of this week to celebrate IWD, across the four India sites. Unfortunately we had to cancel the talks that we had planned due to COVID-19, but even though the mood was a bit subdued there were still several activities that took place. On the Cadence India social media handles,  we had featured quotes by seven women technologists who work at different sites in India and are at different stages of their careers - one of them is at the right. The learnings that they have shared in these short quotes are likely to resonate with many women...and men too. 

Here’s to more equality for all women in the world – not just on Women’s Day but everyday.