It's been a week since we celebrated International Women's Day (IWD). We is a subjective term. We implies everyone was aware of the day and why it is needed and celebrated. We wants to make you believe that everyone agrees that celebrating women's accomplishments is important.
I think we all know that's not the case. There are plenty of naysayers that don't get it nor do they want to understand it. That group of people won't like what I'm about to say.
We need to celebrate women's accomplishments and we need to do it more often than one day a year. We need to make it a more regular occurrence to celebrate people who have long been behind the scenes... or who've never been able to get 'on-scene' in the first place.
Representation Matters
When launching Kick-Ass Women in Food and then the Influential Women in Manufacturing program, a constant theme I heard from award-winners was that representation matters.
Many of the women who had been nominated and awarded had been done so because they'd had an impact on many people around them. More than half of all of the women I've congratulated in the last 10 years were 'the first' in their family, their company, their town, or their state to have done the thing that they were admired for.
Over the years, as I've gotten to know the award winners, I've recognized the significance of their achievements even more. It's one thing to watch your mom make you and your pals a tasty snack at the kitchen table, but it's an even bigger thing to see her become a household name because of it.
I could list out all of the award winners we've had and how many of their products you consume or use, but that's not the point. The point is, seeing is believing. The second you see someone who looks like you achieving something is the moment you start to believe you can do it too.
On-Brand
What does any of this have to do with food and beverage manufacturing? Plenty. Pan wrote a blog post recently about diversity and how if you wait long enough, you'll see it. He's right. In my 45 years on earth, I've now seen the Cubs win a World Series, snow fall in Texas, and a woman—and a BIPOC one at that—become Vice President of the United States.
As the Dylan song goes, the times they are a-changin'.
Leading up to IWD 2021 and then in the week following it, I've seen numerous food and beverage brands profess their admiration for women's accomplishments. Ditto in February when I saw more recognition of Black History Month and elevating black-owned businesses than I've ever seen in my life. I've watched as businesses, entrepreneurs, and other food and beverage founders who never used to get the time of day, finally get recognition and exposure for their hard work.
I like to write about women who help other women fund their businesses. As recent as January 2020, only 3% of venture capital in the U.S. went to companies with a female CEO. That's not a typo, that's a single digit and it's just one representation of how we've been failing at diversity.
But there is hope. When I saw how many companies presenting at this year's CAGNY Conference had diversity and inclusion in their slide decks, I was enthralled. I actively applauded when I heard what Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, General Mills, and others have been doing to help shine a light on diversity and inclusion.
While Women's History Month or Black History Month may just be grist for the marketing mill for some companies, it is my hope that those firms become the minority. Let's hope celebrating the accomplishments of those we learn about with each month becomes the norm. Let's remember why diversity and inclusion are important and who it's serving.
Erin Hallstrom is the resident geek and Swiss Army Knife of FoodProcessing.com and the author of our Working Wit blog, she's responsible for the digital strategy for FoodProcessing.com including posting content, managing social media, and analyzing reader data. She's a Toastmaster, a Black Belt in Karate, and an improv performer. Erin is the creator and founder of the Influential Women in Manufacturing program, the creator, host, and producer of our Food For Thought podcast, and is a producer for our Manufacturing Tomorrow's Workforce podcast. Give her a shout-out or get in touch with her via email.