International Women’s Day – Top 100 Influencers on Gender Equality and Diversity, feat. our CEO Marija Butkovic
WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY AND WHERE DID IT ALL START?
International Women’s Day (IWD) gets more and more attention every year, particularly now that social media has become so crucial in raising awareness. We’ve all witnessed the impact of movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp and #ThisGirlCan. From online activities like trending hashtags to offline marches, its impact continues to grow. But where did it come from and why is it important? IWD has been recognised for over 100 years, with the first official celebration being marked in 1911. It arose out of numerous political movements around the world, all calling for better political, working & social rights for women. IWD is an opportunity to recognise the positive steps we are taking towards a truly equal, fair and diverse society.
WHAT DOES IWD MEAN TODAY?
We have come a very long way in the last century where equal rights are concerned. Many countries worldwide have made great strides towards recognising women’s crucial role in society and IWD is marked as an official holiday in over 25 countries. This translates to more job opportunities, better working conditions, more women in senior positions. In the UK, the gender pay gap for full time employees has decreased year on year, falling from 12.6% in 2010 to 8.6% in 2018. In the US, the gender pay gap in 2018 was closer to 19.5%, although this varies considerably from state to state. This is a marked increase from the 1980s, when women earned just 64.2% of what men earned in the same job.
There is still a long way to go, however. A recent McKinsey Global Institute study showed that the Netherlands, despite being hailed as a liberal and forward-thinking society actually ranks lowest in Western Europe on several key gender parity indicators including number of paid working hours, average monthly income, representation in management positions, and students in STEM education. Experts estimate that this inequality in the labour market costs the Dutch economy 117 billion Euros annually.
The conversations around gender equality, inclusion and representation are therefore crucial to keeping up the momentum of positive change. From equal pay to gender-balanced boardrooms, from encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM to founding their own businesses, IWD is a day to celebrate past achievements and look ahead to the future.
MAPPING THE COMMUNITY
We were very interested in seeing which individuals were leading the discussion around Equality and Diversity, so using a comprehensive Boolean search query we analysed over 9.2M tweets mentioning all the keywords we identified from 3rd March 2018 to 3rd March 2019. We then identified the top 100 most influential individuals leading the discussion on social media. What we discovered was a very engaged community, with much discussion between individual influencers.
Below you can see a network map of the online conversation around Gender Equality, Diversity in the Workplace and Female Entrepreneurship. Top influencer Claire Cain Miller is at the centre. This map was created with our Influencer Relationship Management software (IRM). Be sure to click on the map to enjoy the full-size network diagram in greater detail.
WHAT ARE THE EXPERTS SAYING?
Marija Butkovic, Founder and CEO of Women of Wearables and Co-founder Kisha Smart Umbrella
“Starting out my journey in tech wasn’t an easy thing for me. As someone who comes from a legal industry, I used to have imposter syndrome and thought I will never build a successful career in world of technology. Yet, as long as you are passionate and determined to achieve your goals and create impact, you will succeed, regardless of your background, experience or even gender. Today, more than ever, we need to focus on diversity in tech. Diversity of minds and backgrounds leads to diversity of ideas. So let’s #BalanceForBetter, because only by including more women and diverse groups in the world of technology, we can truly succeed.”
SEE THE FULL LIST OF TOP 100 INFLUENCERS
Read the full article at Onalytica’s blog.