Today’s blog post looks at progress being made in the space of gender equality in the lead up to International Women’s Day 2020. We consider the situation at hand, and look at how the domain name industry is maintaining an active approach.

IWD 2020

This year, International Women’s Day (IWD) falls on Sunday March 8th 2020. As indicated on their website, IWD is a day that is globally recognised in “celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.”

While many of us may be familiar with this movement, it is important that we understand that there is still a long way to go before we reach gender equality. Founder of The Big Red Group, and keynote presenter at the recent Digital Marketers Australia conference, Naomi Simson reminded the audience that, “gender bias stops when we don’t talk about it anymore.” 

Stepping forward

While many industries are taking positive steps forward in this space, the International Women’s Day/Girls in Tech movements continue to communicate an important message because it is evident that society still has a long way to go. There are resources available for workplaces who require guidance on gender equality, such as those offered by the Australian Government Workplace Gender Equality Agency, including information on developing flexible working policies and addressing pay equality to assist in making a difference. 

Afilias is a long time supporter of gender equality. Last year we shared details on how our organisation supports staff through education, connectivity and empowerment, focusing on the Girls In Tech movement which encourages female leadership in the tech industry. This year, these values remain front of mind, but we also recognise the importance in focusing on changes taking place in the wider ‘domain name’ industry.

An example of this was at the recent APTLD77 meeting, where it could be seen that our industry is moving in the right direction, with a range of presenters engaging with the audience and offering their perspectives. While ours, like many industries, is far from reaching total equality, it is refreshing that we are moving towards a balanced representation of stakeholders at these events.

Thanks to Naomi Simson for her powerful words, and for suggesting a new way of addressing the situation. As society strives for a balanced approach, it is important that we, and other industries continue to take steps forward.

Afilias values the importance of inclusivity and equality in our work supporting a number of ccTLDs including .au, and we encourage other organisations to do the same.

Have a question or some feedback? Contact us today at blog@afilias.com.au