Women’s History Month at HERE: our sisterhood will lift us up

There has never been a stronger business case for gender diversity. According to a recent report from McKinsey, companies with higher female representation are more likely to outperform.

Despite this, women only account for 22% of the workforce in the domains of data and AI, engineering, and cloud computing — evidence that change is still an uphill battle.

In 2023, HERE is supporting both Women’s History Month and this year’s International Women’s Day theme #EmbraceEquity with a series of events and speaker sessions to help raise awareness of women's challenges and actively support women’s advancement to help forge gender equality.

To find out more, HERE360 spoke with five of HERE's female frontrunners about the challenges of working in tech, gender barriers, bias and how to bolster future generations. 

Alejandra Lona, Senior Director, Business Operations

Why do you think International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are important?

“To create awareness and drive positive change, to use this day to reflect on the challenges that women and society are facing like gender gap, gender violence and a lack of opportunities.

“As an industrial engineer I like to talk with data, and according to the latest report from the World Economic Forum the global gender gap is narrowing, but it will still take 132 years to reach parity. So every action, every day that we dedicate to influence our society and systems to accelerate this is critical, for our current and future generations.”

What do you think you can do to help young women facing gender barriers?

“Latina and Hispanic women make up just 1.6% of senior executives in the US’s largest companies. This is why I make sure to dedicate time to speak with young women so that they can see that a Latina woman can hold a global leadership position. 

"I attend as many events as possible where I can share the mistakes I made, the fears I had, and the lessons I have learned."

Embracing equity at HERE

Career advancement programs for female employees Data-driven, business-unit-specific interventions for hiring, promoting, and retaining female employees Spotlight female talent to create visibility HR policy review to identify more support for women-specific life events Leadership awareness programs Support our Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) employee resource group

Paula Martin, Senior Support Specialist

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

"I hope they wouldn't need advice! That my generation would have already helped to build a path for them to succeed, be respected, and have equal opportunities to study, work, and live — that their freedom is not in the opposite gender's hands. But if I had to pass something on, I would tell them to make sure that they surround themselves with strong, compassionate women. Because when times get tough, it is our sisterhood that will lift us up and help us make it through."

What does #EmbraceEquity mean to you?

"In Latin America, embracing equity, for me, means working toward societies where women have the same rights and opportunities as men, and where gender-based discrimination and violence are eliminated.

"Embracing equity might involve supporting funding for girls' education, promoting policies that support work-life balance for working mothers, and implementing laws and policies to protect women from gender-based violence. It could also mean helping to increase female representation in government and leadership positions. But above all else, embracing equity means promoting cultural shifts that challenge traditional gender roles and stereotypes."

Milica Cica, Data Acquisition and Community Manager

Do you, or did you have, a woman leader as a mentor?

“Yes, I have been lucky that throughout my decade-long HERE career, I have worked alongside Jocelyne Michel, who is a fantastic leader and is still a role model for me. Over the years, she has not only mentored me, but she has also pushed me out of my comfort zone to grow and learn."

How have International Women's Day and Women’s History Month advocacy helped you and your female colleagues?

"IWD and WHM encourage women to have a voice and be proud of what they have accomplished. Also, it reminds us that when it comes to salary and position, women deserve to be given the same opportunities as men. 

"At HERE our WIN Network is full of amazing women, who help each other and promote IWD and WHM with connected activities."

Rina Patel, Partner Account Manager

Why do you think International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are important?

"IWD and WHM are opportunities to educate and bring attention to women’s issues in and outside of the workplace. It’s not enough to celebrate that women exist and to give them flowers. IWD and WHM celebrate women’s achievements and how far we have brought the women’s movement — a time to mourn our setbacks, build allyship, and figure out how we will move forward."  

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

"Don’t be afraid to speak up. This includes asking for what you want, negotiating a fair salary, talking about career goals, and speaking up for those that can’t.

“And in a room full of opportunity, always remember to say the name of another woman.”

What do you think you can do to help young women facing gender barriers?

"Something we have discussed during WIN planning for 2023, was how we can work with one of the higher education institutions in Chicago or elsewhere to work with young female graduates. Do they have the resources they need? Do they know how to negotiate? Are they taking risks and applying for appropriate jobs? Men apply for jobs when they are 60% qualified, and women wait until they are 100%. This is a small – but important — step in working toward breaking down gender barriers."

How has International Women's Day and Women's History Month advocacy helped you and your female colleagues?

“I feel it has helped us recognize the lack of equity between women who are Black, Asian, Indigenous, White, and LGBTQ+. 

“By recognizing the inequalities between women and men, we can begin to diversify our efforts to include the wider span of gaps that also need to be addressed.”

Durva Chougule, Learning & Development Specialist

Do you, or did you have, a woman leader as a mentor?

“Yes, I have a few! They continue to inspire me to do more, create an impact, be fearless, lead with empathy and drive change.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for doing what they do at their level. It truly shows women like me that transformational leadership is possible and makes me believe that I can and will achieve more.”

What does #EmbraceEquity mean to you?

“Embracing equity can be as simple as providing a level-playing field, a fair chance to all by recognizing that we do not all start our race from the same starting line.

“It includes not punishing or judging women coming back from maternity leave, helping to create fair recruitment programs and anti-discrimination policies, all with the intent of fostering a more inclusive, diverse workspace that provides equitable opportunities for advancement.”