Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women in our lives.
We recognise that ‘being an ally’ is incredibly important for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women, and can play a vital role in promoting women’s interests and encouraging gender equality.
Chirag Lodhia, Coordinator & Principal Trainer, Digital Health, and member of the Gender Equality Committee, recognises the role he can play in promoting gender equality so everyone can reach their full potential.
“I feel that it is important to recognise where support is needed and understand that it isn’t a one size fits all approach to gender and equity.”
“As men, we already have a position of power, whether directly or indirectly, and we need to listen and understand how to use it to best support equality and encourage women to feel empowered.”
To be a good ally it is important for men to pay attention, actively listen to women’s experiences and needs, learn and understand other perspectives and ask questions that can help in identifying behaviours and patterns. Once an experience is shared, this needs to be validated to make it normal.
Being part of the Gender Equity Committee and seeing the wider gender lens, and the introduction of diversity initiatives leave Chirag feeling optimistic about the progress we are making as a healthcare service.
“We want everyone to feel free to express themselves and be accepted, to achieve the best possible health and wellbeing outcomes for our patients and our employees.”
It’s also important that we demonstrate our support of women from the LGBTIQA+ community that we encounter as our colleagues, the patients we provide care to, the visitors to our organisation, and the women we meet outside of work. Treating all women with respect and acceptance and being sensitive to the challenges they may be facing as part of the LGBTIQA+ community has an enormous impact on the wellbeing of all women.
Chirag says his experience at Monash Health has been positive and he has had many incredible female colleagues, leaders, and managers, who have inspired and helped shape this experience.
This IWD Chirag will be taking time to appreciate, recognise and be grateful for all the incredible women in his life and continue to advocate for gender equality.
Join us tomorrow as we celebrate IWD
We will be hosting a special all-employee event tomorrow, Wednesday 8 March at 2pm. For more details, visit the event listing on the intranet.
Approved by A/Prof Anjali Dhulia