IBM's Chief Marketing Officer, Michelle Peluso is just one of many leaders that is breaking the glass ceiling when it comes to women in business. For International Women's Day it is important for us to point out the incredible women that have inspired us to continue pushing towards our goal of equality.
When asked about having a day completely dedicated to women, Peluso was quick to say “On one hand we don’t want to talk about it, we don’t want it to be a special day but we still have a long way to go.” Unfortunately most companies are not where they should be when it comes to women in leadership positions. Peluso continues to saying, “Across most companies in the world women in leadership ranks are still the minority and a significant minority. So we still have a long way to go so pointing out incredible women, the progress we’re making, pushing us all to do a bit more… it’s a good time to do that on International Women’s Day.”
How does a company as huge as IBM lead the way in equality? Well Peluso explains that the IBM, which has been around for 108 years, instituted an equal pay for equal work policy in the 1930s. The chairman set this motion forward a decade before the Civil Rights Act and stated there will be NO discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender.... “We want to keep doing more," adds Peluso.
79% of companies, still have not made gender equality a business priority, more importantly... a formal business priority. Meaning, there is no initiative or policy put forth for an equal workplace. "You can't be what you can't see," and therefore without women in leadership roles, it is hard to see where you might fit in within the company you work for.
International Women's Day is a day for you to reach out to the female in your life to remind them, or tell them for the first time, that they had an impact on who you are today. Whether it's your female boss who paved the way for you in the industry, or your mother who taught you what's right or wrong in the world. Every person today should reach out and say thank you.
Michelle Peluso's full interview with Elvis Duran can be heard below: