March is Ladies’s Historical past Month, and in some ways, girls at the moment are nonetheless marching within the footsteps of our foremothers towards a greater, extra equitable society. This yr, the Nationwide Ladies’s Historical past Alliance proposed “Ladies Offering Therapeutic, Selling Hope” because the designated theme to acknowledge the myriad methods by which girls’s labor has supplied hope and therapeutic all through historical past.
At WP Engine, leaders of our female-focused worker useful resource group (ERG), Roar, have facilitated quite a lot of panels, actions, and occasions supposed to each develop on this general theme and begin conversations particularly essential to girls in tech as we work towards office fairness.
The week of March 7–11 was chock full of world programming in addition to occasions organized particularly for members of our world hubs. Learn on to see what girls and their allies at WP Engine have been as much as throughout this Ladies’s Historical past Month!
Encouraging Empowerment By way of Group and Dialog
Roar kicked off Ladies’s Historical past Month simply forward of Worldwide Ladies’s Day with an #IAmRemarkable workshop on Monday, March 7. #IAmRemarkable is a Google-led initiative that goals to empower people to have fun their achievements.
Whereas this sounds easy sufficient, many individuals battle with regards to speaking about their accomplishments. #IAmRemarkable goals to deal with that by bettering the self promotion motivation and abilities of girls and underrepresented teams. Monday’s session was the primary of two 90-minute workshops provided to staff, and attendees are inspired to hone the talents of self-promotion and reward.
“#IamRemarkable challenges social perceptions and modesty norms by creating dialogue and a protected house for girls and underrepresented teams to enhance abilities round self promotion. Whereas it’s simple to hype up others, it might really feel uncomfortable to do that for oneself. I hope each participant leaves the workshop feeling empowered and realizing they’re actually exceptional.”
Shelbi Kyler, Co-Chair of Roar’s Omaha chapter & #IAmRemarkable session chief
March 8, which marked Worldwide Ladies’s Day, noticed organizers lean into the theme of this yr’s Ladies’s Historical past Month with a WP Engine Panel centered on “Learnings From the Pandemic.”
Roar leaders sat alongside different feminine staff at WP Engine to sort out subjects like beginning a brand new position, managing groups throughout time zones, parenting, and distant studying, in addition to methods by which the pandemic affected their approaches to every of those challenges. Listening to from these leaders supplied attendees with new insights from their experiences, highlighting how the pandemic has affected the lives of girls we all know and work with.
Wednesday, Roar leaders teamed up with members of Hue, our ERG for LGBTQ+ people, for a morning Tea Time speak. Attendees unpacked the phrase, “feminism is supposed for everybody,” asking essential questions concerning the veracity of that assertion, the historic impacts of feminism, which communities have been excluded, which have been exalted, and the way we are able to construct a extra inclusive future for that takes the lived experiences of all individuals into consideration.
At WP Engine’s Omaha hub, Roar sponsored a yoga session which was made obtainable by way of Zoom to our different hubs and distant staff members. These in attendance centered their intentions on wellness, each for physique and thoughts, in accordance with this yr’s Ladies’s Historical past Month theme.
That afternoon, members of the WP Engine Assist staff co-led a RoarXSupport panel. They mentioned what it’s wish to be a girl in a male-dominated area, discovering your voice, and methods for securing your seat on the desk, even within the face of imposter syndrome (and the various societal stereotypes that foster it).
“Individuals love curious individuals, so it’s okay to ask questions. Asking a query demonstrates you’re engaged and following alongside. It’s okay to not know all the pieces—nobody does.”
Enid Jimenez, Director of Engineering, WP Engine
On Thursday, March 10, a dialogue was co-led by members of Roar and Flourish, WP Engine’s worker useful resource group centered on psychological wellness. Staff shared private experiences and coping techniques to help people who’ve discovered themselves on the intersection of office efficiency, psychological wellness, and gender identification.
Then, on the finish of the day within the U.S., Roar Trivia Night time introduced coworkers collectively in a enjoyable, casual setting (in-person or by way of Zoom). Our hostesses have been each entertaining and provoking, as the 2 entrepreneurs behind the service we used—Raucous Trivia—had begun their digital trivia internet hosting enterprise on the onset of the pandemic!
Whereas staff within the States have been sharpening their psychological muscle tissues, our APAC Roar chapter was internet hosting a dialogue on stereotypes in tech. Anuprita Bhomick, Head of Google Gadgets & Companies Buyer Expertise joined the group to share private tales on the subject in addition to methods for altering and eliminating the dangerous stereotypes dealing with girls in tech fields.
Friday rounded out the week with a ultimate workshop co-presented by Roar and Rise—the WP Engine ERG centered on BIPOC and allies—and facilitated by Austin-based suppose tank (and do tank) Rosa Insurrection.
Rosa Insurrection was based by and for girls of shade with the aim of confronting unjust techniques and sparking activism that can result in a extra equitable, inclusive future for all girls in all areas. Friday’s workshop created the chance for all attendees to confront methods they will use their private and collective energy, privilege, and private experiences to affect life at WP Engine and past.
“Hold fascinated about the myths we inform ourselves concerning the world we reside in and the tradition you’re creating at WP Engine, as a result of keep in mind, individuals create the tradition, not the opposite approach round.”
Virginia A. Cumberbatch, Co-Founder, Rosa Insurrection
Calling All Highly effective Ladies
WP Engine stays essentially the most highly effective WordPress managed internet hosting and innovation platform thanks largely to the highly effective girls who push our groups to thrive.
Go to our careers web page to discover a position the place you may convey your skills to a staff that empowers you to convey your greatest and truest self to work every single day!
