Written by Luciane Mallmann on Wednesday 8 March, 2023
When I started writing this article, I considered exploring what key statistics reveal about women in compliance, as they can help us to understand the progress made over the years, while also identifying issues to be tackled in the market in the near future.
However, I recognise there is already a reasonable amount of content addressing the topic, and I wanted to take this opportunity instead to celebrate women and the long way we have come, both in the field of compliance and society.
We have secured more roles and leadership positions in recent years, and indeed are meant to be leaders and problem solvers. However, this is still a work in progress, and while many women are becoming more confident, workplace culture plays a pivotal role in that.
Embrace equity
Equity culture must be fully understood and embedded in the workplace, and that should start at the top and then be supported and translated by all levels. Without it, there will be no space for women to grow in confidence or, worse still, we may even end up undermining the confidence many women have taken years to build.
This year, the International Women’s Day #EmbraceEquity campaign theme aims to get the world talking about why equal opportunities are not sufficient. People start from different places, and some women do not come from a linear career or life path. Therefore, true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. Companies need to listen, understand and adapt to these paths, and not the other way around.
Throughout my career I have experienced setbacks and many challenges in different aspects. These are my main pieces of advice to all brilliant women out there:
- Never take things for granted in life.
- Don’t be attached to your comfort zone.
- Challenge yourself every day.
- Be comfortable with your own values and also your value as a professional.
- Keep upskilling yourself, making connections, and being part of different network groups.
- Set some time aside to understand how you can develop your branding.
- Ask for help and advice no matter your seniority level.
- Everyone has their own experiences and stories to share in so many different and valuable ways.
We need to embrace the diversity of cultural and professional backgrounds and support and lift each other all the time. As women, remember, you do not necessarily have to be in a leadership position to be a leader. If you are offered the spotlight, do not think you are not good enough or do not have the ideal experience or knowledge to be there; take it and celebrate your achievements and journey no matter how far you have come. We all have something to contribute.
Here is a call for action for everyone: we all have a part to play in the push for a gender-equal world in our actions, conversations, behaviours and mindset. And today is a day dedicated to empowering everyone to play a role in helping create a more gender-inclusive world!
Luciane Mallmann is Head of Ethics and Compliance for UK & Ireland at JLL and Co-founder of Women in Ethics and Compliance (WEC) Global.
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