05 Apr Celebrating the 60th International Women’s Day: Where is Women’s Liberation Today

According to Fortune magazine, womxn* CEOs run more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies for the first time in history. That’s quadruple the 2.4% in 2011. Women continue to lead the way in college completion. A record number of women were elected governor in 2022. With so many strides in the movement for women’s equity, it begs the question: Do we still need a Women’s Liberation Movement today?

The answer is yes, particularly when looking at a global context.

Women’s Liberation, Defined

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the word liberation has a different impact and intention than the “Women’s Lib” movement of the late 60s and early 70s, with heavy hitters like Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan or Simone de Beauvoir and the push for the (still unpassed) Equal Rights Amendment.

Liberation in today’s context first acknowledges the contributions and value of women in all realms of life (education, healthcare, elected office, leadership, body positivity, and more). Second, it embraces the call for like-minded men and allies to also share in carrying the work of women’s equity forward.

“Liberation means that we give up this notion that we have to add women to the mix. Women have always been in the forefront” says Elmer Dixon, President of Executive Diversity Services. “Men in leadership positions can play a very important part in this, which is making sure that they give space for women to succeed, and by recognizing and acknowledging that while women may go about doing things differently than them, that doesn’t mean it’s less than,” adds Dixon. The narrative that the contribution of women is less than their male counterparts has manifested differently on a national and global scale over the past 60 years.

Women’s Liberation in a Global Context

Today, the term liberation as it relates to the women’s movement has a much broader, global, reach. Two examples at the forefront of the news today include Iran and Afghanistan, where the continued devaluation of women has led to a global movement for women’s liberation and a campaign for autonomy and liberation, literally, from an oppressive regime.

Women Facing Oppression in Iran

In October 2022, Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman was stopped by the Morality Police for improperly wearing her hijab while visiting Iran. She was subsequently imprisoned. According to her family and local reporters Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi (whom the Iranian regime has since jailed), she was severely beaten and, as a result of injuries she sustained while in prison, died. Mahsa Amini’s murder has since sparked a global movement highlighting the right to women’s autonomy, and the call to end regimes rooted in lethal misogynist patriarchy. For women in Iran, for example, it is punishable to dance or show your hair in public or travel alone without a male chaperone. Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian actress and activist has described the conditions for women and girls in Iran as a way of:

“Holding and keeping women down…It (The Iranian Revolution of 1979) was an Islamic revolution that basically took away women’s rights. It was an anti-woman revolution. Before 1979 women could dress however they wanted, they could become judges, assume the highest ministerial offices in the country, they had a right to choose. The legal right of marriage was 18. It was reduced to nine after the revolution…When you see women are segregated from men after 1979…in the classroom, at the workplace, at beaches, they have to sit at the back of the bus. This is gender apartheid… women are second-class citizens. They’re worth half the value of a man before a court of law and that’s what we’re fighting for. Equal rights for women, but more importantly all of this has sparked a freedom movement.”

Human Rights Violations against Women in Afghanistan

Similarly, these types of human rights violations against women are taking place in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban came back to power back in August 2022, they enacted legislation that restricts access to education, and as a result millions of girls have not returned to their schools. Instead, they have been confined to their homes or taken on manual labor. Atrocities like what is happening in Iran and Afghanistan are a reminder of why International Women’s Day and the movement for women’s liberation continue to exist. It highlights a call to action for continuing the work towards achieving gender freedom both abroad and at home.

The State of Liberation in the US

Here in the United States, there have been great strides in advancing equity and liberation for women through legislation such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Higher Education Act, the ruling of Roe v. Wade, and the Crown Act. While these advances are essential and contribute to the movement for women’s equity and autonomy, the work is not complete. It needs to be stated that the recent Supreme Court ruling on Roe v Wade rolling back protections for women is a reminder of how rights thought of as unalienable can be stripped away. Women still face challenges in professional spaces, given laws like the recent amendment in the Missouri House of Representatives that dictates what is appropriate professional attire for women on the House floor.

Taking Action: Tips for Awareness and Inclusion in the Workplace 

In recognizing that there is more work to be done to build upon the great accomplishments of women’s liberation, equity, and equality; professionals and leaders in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Executive Diversity Services have cultivated a list of top strategies for you, and aspirationally for your organization or company, to promote gender equity, inclusion, and equality:

• Make Space.
  “Women have been able to succeed because like-minded men who agree that women are just as strong, thoughtful, powerful, and articulate as they have moved to the side and made space to show that they are capable,” says Dixon. By making space, leaders can help create a work culture that models that the work to promote equity and inclusion for women is shared by ALL.
• Speak up!
  “When you see something, say something to interrupt bad behavior, bias, harassment, or microaggressions. If you witness inappropriate behavior or language, actively step in to create an atmosphere and culture of respect and inclusion for women in the organization,” says Executive Diversity Services Senior Consultant and Facilitator Ava Diamond.
• Consider, “What else could be true?”
  A second pointer from Diamond is to remember that “while a woman’s experience has not been your experience, doesn’t mean it should be rejected. Instead, listen to gain information to impact broader systemic changes that impact women within your organization, company, or team.” Seeking out ways to move beyond an “either/or” mindset can be transformational for a company’s sense of equity and inclusion.
• Take action to change the system.
  “Look for systemic changes that can be made so that the culture is supportive of women and is inclusive. For example: look at the policies and practices in the organization that impact women positively or negatively,” says Diamond. Change policies where they are not supportive of women.” Be more than an ally; be a co-conspirator!

Strengthening your skills and abilities to be a co-conspirator in this newest iteration of the women’s liberation movement insists that we challenge our understandings about power, intersectionality, and privilege by engaging in dialogue with one another to build something better.

Let’s get into it!

* Womxn is an emerging term within the LGBTQ+ and nonbinary communities that aims to be inclusive of the whole spectrum of womanhood.

Interested in supporting Iran or Afghanistan, consider the following ways to support those doing great work on the ground:

• Amplify and share on your social media what is happening in Iran and Afghanistan through your posts and stories. The international community can support these issues to stay present.
• The Iranian American Women’s Foundation accepts donations for its platform to empower future generations of Iranian American women.
• The Women’s Committee of National Council of Resistance in Iran is raising funds to support thousands of Iranian women who brave all dangers to participate in Iran protests for freedom, justice, and equality.
• Women for Women Emergency Fund for Afghanistan will match donations of up to $50,000 to support women impacted by war and conflict and help them to rebuild their families and communities.
• Afghanaid works in some of the most remote places across the country providing food, shelter, cash, and other vital household essentials to the most vulnerable and supporting families to rebuild and revitalize their livelihoods.