International Women’s Day (IWD) is a time to reflect on how we support women both within our business and our local community. Inspired by the United Nations’ Invest in women: Accelerate progress theme this year, we explore five of the ways we’re shaping a better future.
1. More women in management positions
In the past 12 months, the number of women in management positions has increased by 20%. We’re keen for women to enjoy career progression at Cambridge Intelligence, so the majority of those female managers were as a result of well-deserved, internal promotions.
Céline made the move from Customer Success Manager to Head of Customer Success last summer.
“In many organizations, there isn’t a clear opportunity for career progression – you have to apply to other companies advertising the managerial role you want. Not here! I’m proud to lead a brilliant, supportive, hard-working team.”
In the week leading up to IWD, we shared stories with the team about some of the remarkable women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The aim was to raise awareness of inspirational women, such as Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon and Ellen K. Pao, who advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion in male-dominated industries.
2. Support for women experiencing menopause
A recent UK Government report found that three in five menopausal women – usually between 45 and 55 – were negatively affected at work, with almost 900,000 leaving work altogether because of their symptoms.
Menopause is a health issue. Physical and psychological symptoms are extensive and varied, yet the stigma around menopause can make it harder to find treatment and support. With reports of long waiting lists for women seeking professional treatment from menopause specialists, we decided to increase our private medical insurance cover to include Bupa’s Menopause Plan.
The plan includes an appointment with a menopause-trained doctor, a personalized care plan which may include referrals to specialists, tests and prescriptions, and a follow up consultation. This is supported by a Menopause HealthLine, which is open 365 days a year.
By investing in this benefit, we’re supporting highly-skilled, experienced women who’ve spent years building their careers. We’ve also started an open conversation about something that’s been a taboo subject for too long.
3. Improved support for families
In late 2023, we reviewed our family policy and enhanced our maternity pay to up to 12 weeks paid leave. By doing this, we hope to better financially support the women in our team when they’re starting or growing their family.
As part of the review, we also introduced paid pregnancy loss leave for those who suffer the tragic loss of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. We appreciate how devastating this kind of bereavement must be, and this provides some financial relief as well as time away from work.
4. Flexible working hours for busy lives
We have flexible and hybrid working policies to help everyone balance their responsibilities inside and outside work in a way that suits them. A survey by the International Workplace Group (IWG) identified how important these types of working patterns are for women in particular, with 67% believing that it has a positive impact on their career growth.
We ask our teammates to be in the office at least 1 day a week, but we’re flexible on how they achieve that. We also accommodate flexible working where possible, and you can find out more in our post on the benefits of a healthy work/life fit.
5. Support for women’s services
We’re proud supporters of Cambridge Women’s Aid, a local charity that provides services to women and children affected by domestic abuse. Our donations have helped fund expert confidential support, resettlement, emergency accommodation and life skills training for women.
We’re also keen to raise awareness of the important work Cambridge Women’s Aid do, and find out how we can support them further. Next week, a representative from the charity is presenting a lunch and learn session at our Cambridge HQ. We’re also sourcing refreshments from Out to Lunch a local, women-owned business.
What next?
Investing in women is a year-round commitment, not just something we think about on IWD.
We know there’s still some way to go before we reach gender parity. To help us get there faster, our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) group are working to increase gender diversity in our talent pipeline, starting by exploring partnerships and reviewing recruitment processes to make positive changes. Watch this space!
