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Today we celebrate the strength, achievements, and resilience of women worldwide. International Women’s Day is a call for equality, women’s rights, support and opportunity for all.
We’ve caught up with a number of women from across Capita globally to hear what International Women’s Day means to them, and their thoughts on how we can promote gender equality at work and beyond.
Today we are reminded that we still have work to do to create a balanced and inclusive society where everyone, regardless of gender, has a voice, a perspective and equal opportunities to succeed.
Gender equity at Capita is important to us. We want our workplace to be, and continue to be, one where women have the same representation and opportunity as anyone else. We believe in action, and we’re committed to supporting women at Capita by fostering an inclusive environment through various initiatives such as our RISE leadership programme and cross company mentoring, which are designed to help women advance in their careers.
We're also leveraging data and insights to drive informed decisions that promote gender balance across all levels of our organisation. Additionally, we have a robust succession planning process in place to ensure that women are well-represented in our leadership pipeline. Our goal is to create a workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive and succeed.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
- Rachel Rogers, Agricultural Administrator, Ireland: International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made towards gender equality, while also recognising the challenges that still exist. For me, it's about honoring the resilience, creativity, and strength that women bring to every aspect of life. It’s a day of empowerment, solidarity, and hope for the future.
- Ariane Raab, Finance Director, Germany: International Women’s Day is a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality. It celebrates the strength and achievements of women, including my own journey. It’s a day to reflect on the progress we’ve made while staying committed to creating a more just and equal world for all women.
- Najmah Hassiem, Risk and Assurance Lead, South Africa: It means I get to celebrate all females across the globe for the amazing milestones and achievements they have reached in their careers and personal lives. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate the culture of gender equality in a business that encourages women to go beyond, and which fully supports uplifting all women at work.
How can we ensure that the rights of all women are upheld and respected within organisations and beyond?
- Patrizia Rossi, HR Manager, Switzerland: Clear policies to promote zero tolerance for harassment, ensure equal pay for equal work and fair promotion opportunities, and encourage women in leadership and decision-making roles. We should foster a culture of respect and inclusion, ensure diverse voices are heard and celebrate women’s achievements and contributions in all fields. In Switzerland, we have carried out an equal pay analysis to ensure equal pay.
- Najmah Hassiem, Risk and Assurance Lead, South Africa: By treating each employee as an individual and ensuring that men and women are treated equally and fairly.
What can we do to promote gender equality at work and in our communities?
- Katie Goodchild, Firefighter, UK: We should allow everyone to have the same opportunities as each other. Being in the fire service, I work predominantly with males, but I think more advertising featuring women in these kinds of roles would massively change the way people view them, as it would become more ‘normal’.
- Rachel Rogers, Agricultural Administrator, Ireland: Promoting gender equality at work and in our communities is a powerful way to drive change. This can be achieved through challenging gender stereotypes, supporting women in male-dominated fields, offering equal opportunities for growth, promoting work-life balance and providing community awareness and education.
- Patrizia Rossi, HR Manager, Switzerland: Support, promote, respect and value female talent. Support work-life balance, diverse hiring, behave as a role model and provide mentoring programs. Everyone bears responsibility for society, and this should be expressed in everyday professional and private life through consciously made decisions.
What are your future career aspirations, and how is Capita helping you to achieve them?
- Katie Goodchild, Firefighter, UK: Capita offers me lots of opportunities to increase my knowledge and confidence, for example, putting me on courses or inviting me to events like the Women in the Fire Service Event I attended last year. It’s great to be around people who understand the barriers and difficulties we, as women, can face.
- Rachel Rogers, Agricultural Administrator, Ireland: My future career aspirations are to grow and develop more within the agricultural sector and become an expert in my field. Women in agriculture play a vital role worldwide and I am a firm believer in connecting and empowering women within the agricultural sector. It has been great to see the increased recognition of the significant impact that women have on agriculture over recent years. Capita is already helping me achieve this by supporting my goals and offering a variety of professional development programmes. A healthy work-life balance is also a priority for me - Capita offers flexibility and remote work options.
- Ariane Raab, Finance Director, Germany: My aspiration is driving strategic growth and financial innovation, while mentoring future leaders and promoting a culture of inclusion and diversity within the organisation. Capita has already played a key role in supporting my career development, offering leadership training, coaching, and enabling me to be part of the RISE programme. These opportunities have helped me build on my strengths and continue to progress in my leadership journey.
Capita has been recognised by Forbes as one of the top companies for women to work for:
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