disguise’s seven tips for empowering women in the workplace

Still, we can only do that with a talented, dedicated team that is as diverse as the skills each individual brings to the table.

International Women’s Day (IWD) 2021 is an opportunity to use our platform to salute the women in tech we’re proud to call our colleagues and their achievements.

As part of our effort to achieve gender diversity, we’re using IWD 2021 to ask our female coworkers: how can we empower other women in the workplace? To help increase this understanding, here are some of the top tips that surfaced in our discussions. We hope they'll help inspire you with any career decisions you’re looking to make or help you overcome any challenges you might face.

Seven tips to empower women at work

1. Practise fearlessness and always take on new challenges
Stepping outside your comfort zone is an excellent opportunity to learn about yourself. By taking chances, you will keep yourself on a track of never-ending growth. Not only that, but courageousness in this way is also infectious and can inspire others to be brave, test norms and challenge themselves in different ways and follow your example.

2. Project confidence in everything you do
The more confident and competent you appear, the more others will have confidence in your abilities. There are many ways to do this, from managing both your visibility and accessibility to being a strategic contributor and helping solve problems.

3. Define success on your terms
Don’t fall into the trap of measuring success based on other people’s definitions. Understand what it means for you and define your path to success. Whether it’s striking the perfect work-life balance, the sense of personal fulfilment you get from work and celebrating achievements with your team, or feeling validated when someone seeks you out for advice, find what success means to you and work to get there.

4. Find a mentor
A mentor is a powerful tool that can dispense invaluable advice or support during your career. They are also people you can share your successes with, call on to help extract lessons from more challenging times and someone to confide in when you want to air frustrations. Ask if your place of work already has a mentoring scheme. If not, there are plenty of independent programmes out there.

5. Find your voice
Now, more than ever, in the age of remote working, when video calls can stifle open dialogue, we need to remember that our view is as valid as anyone else's in any given conversation. Your opinion is as significant as anyone in your team, and employers should create the space needed for everyone to share. Ensure your place of work is nurturing this.

6. Say ‘no’ more
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt compelled to say yes? Or are you left feeling panicked at the thought of saying no? Women are often scared to use the word no in the workplace for fear of letting someone down or gaining a reputation. But there is an art to saying no. Saying it more can allow you to remain on track with existing projects and stay aligned to the strategic focus of the business.

7. Look ahead, not over your shoulder
As you move forward, always take time to stand in your power and always speak your truth. Identify things likely to slow you down as you work towards your goals and make contingency plans. These might be processes or people, don’t be afraid to flag these things with management.

Now is the time to disrupt gender norms. Together we can all rise to the challenge of creating a better future for everyone. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to reshape the workplace into something better, a space that supports the strengths of each individual and celebrates the achievements of everyone.

We hope you’ll join us as we use International Women’s Day 2021 to champion the women leading innovation through technology, both at disguise, in your workplace, and in any field around the world.

Learn more about disguise and our people

Check out this insightful article for more tips on helping women to rise in tech