Celebrating International Women’s Day with a New Perspective
1911. Just 20 years before Materion (known as Brush Wellman at the time) came into existence, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated. More than one million people gathered in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19 to campaign for women’s rights through rallies and organized meetings.
Fast forward 45 years to the year the United Nations coined March 8 as the UN Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace – 1977 was the year the movement officially began.
And in 2020, companies around the world are taking note and celebrating International Women’s Day as a call to support an equal and enabled world for women and their achievements.
While common jobs in the past were often in the fields of social work, speech language pathology and education, more and more women are entering STEM fields as the workforce continues to advance at a rapid pace. In 2016, over 200,000 women graduated with degrees in STEM fields which is a 30% increase since 2009. Jobs in engineering, chemistry, materials science, information technology and medicine are becoming of more interest to women as they discover that the union between their passions and their talents can often lead to fulfilling, life-long careers.
Throughout our lives, each and every one of us will be given opportunities to connect with, empower and raise up women. No matter our gender, job title, the language we speak or the place we call home, it is up to all of us to continue to elevate women, to encourage them to follow their dreams and take risks and to be bold, knowing they can accomplish anything they set their mind to.
If you or someone you know is interested in a career in STEM, be sure to visit Materion’s job opportunities page here.
Interesting Facts and Figures on Women in the Workforce
There are 1.75 billion women in the workforce today.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/08/world/international-womens-day-infographic-trnd/index.html
Women account for 40% of the total workforce in many countries.
Source: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-the-workforce-global/
As of May 2019, only 33 women were CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and account for less than a third of senior roles globally.
Source: https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-the-workforce-global/
According to the Department of Labor, 82% of social workers are women. Women also represent the majority of speech-language pathologists (98%), physical therapists (69%) and pharmacists (60%).
Source: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/women-in-the-workplace-stats/
70% of mothers with children under the age of 18 participate in the workforce with 75% of working mothers with children under 18 years old working full-time.
Source: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/women-in-the-workplace-stats/
Between 1997 and 2014, the number of women-owned businesses in the US increased by 68%.
Source: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/women-in-the-workplace-stats/
Article Sources:
https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/women-in-the-workplace-stats/