How we’re embracing equity this International Women’s Day

This International Women’s Day, we’re sharing the stories of Co-op Colleagues who are #EmbracingEquity by championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

This year, the IWD’s #EmbraceEquity campaign aims to highlight the difference between equality and equity and to get people talking about why ‘equal opportunities’ are no longer enough.

At Co-op, we recognise the importance of gender equity and with the help of Aspire, our colleague network of women and allies who advocate for a fairer world for all women, we’re working to provide the resources and opportunities needed so that every person, regardless of their circumstances, can achieve their goals at work and beyond.

To celebrate IWD’s 2023 #embraceequity campaign, we’ve asked some of our Co-op Colleagues to share how they’ve seen equity in action. Read on to discover how we’re embracing equity this IWD.

Kerry Jary

Meet Kerry Jary, our Learning and Development Campaigns Manager. She’s worked for Co-op for seven years and has volunteered with Aspire for two years where she was appointed co-chair in 2022. She’s also a member of Respect, our  LGBTQ+ network. Kerry is keen to champion equal opportunities for all her colleagues across the business. Her passion is to support and empower her colleagues to unlock their full potential by removing any barriers to success.

What is the Aspire network and how does it help women?

Aspire is a network made up of Co-op colleague volunteers who advocate for women and colleagues that identify as Women. We raise awareness on key issues facing women and work to empower all of our colleagues to succeed and effect positive change.

We use Aspire to advise the business on updates to policies, and hold regular activities, workshops and special events, such as our International Women’s Day celebrations. Our regular sessions include book clubs, menopause coffee mornings, financial education sessions and roundtable discussions.

We’ve also launched period positivity box products, introduced a menopause policy, signed up to Manchester women’s night-time safety charter, and in 2022, our network won the colleague vote for the Success Together category in the Being Co-op awards. 

Aspire has created a safe space for our colleagues to be themselves and to network with like-minded individuals, whilst promoting women led initiatives at every level of the organisation.

I’m extremely proud of all our volunteers whose hard work and dedication have enabled us to make a positive difference to our colleagues and the business.

How is Co-op celebrating International Women’s Day this year?

We celebrate IWD every year, but this year, we wanted to focus on connections with, bold new events. For the first time, we’re live streaming a panel at our Nisa headquarters in Scunthrope, alongside our panel at 1 Angel Square in Manchester. Our volunteers will also be going out on the road with the Aspire Roadshow and holding mini events at some of our depots, funeral homes and stores across the country.

What does gender equity mean to you?

Gender equity goes beyond addressing inequalities –  it’s the means by which we can achieve an equal and fair society. We want to ensure that our colleagues’ opportunities are not affected by gender biases and that our allies are included in these conversations to help address and close the gender equity gap. 

Urooj Hussain

Meet Urooj, our Operations Officer for Development, who started her journey in stores and has now worked for Co-op for two years. She volunteers with Aspire and is also a member of the Strive network. Urooj is passionate about voicing the challenges that ethnic minorities face and helping to remove these obstacles.

Tell us about some of your personal experiences working with Aspire?

The Aspire network has helped me reach out to colleagues across the business from various backgrounds, ages and genders. From these conversations, I have developed long-lasting personal relationships and pursued avenues to exchange different ideas and opportunities. Most of all, I’ve gained self-confidence from working alongside remarkable people across Co-op who believe in me.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

On IWD, I make an effort to step outside of my own world and acknowledge the inspirational women who surround me – like my mother, who immigrated to England at age 18 and raised her children, while acquiring a new language and establishing herself. Or my devoted aunt, who came to England at nine years old for a greater life and had to navigate the world without her mother. I joined the Aspire network because of these remarkable women in my life.

What has been your experience of gender equity at Co-op?

With Aspire, Co-op performs well for gender equity. No matter what level you work at and regardless of your circumstances, everyone has an opportunity to get involved at Co-op. The same goes for our other networks like Strive, who campaign to help young people.

Co-op and Aspire have made great strides towards gender parity and are also making progress with ethnic diversity, too.

Ben Heath

Meet Ben, our Project Manager who joined Co-op nine years ago. As both a member of the our team and as an ally to women’s equity in the workplace, we asked Ben to share his perspective on the #EmbraceEquity campaign.

What has been your experience of gender equity working at Co-op?

Co-op is a trailblazer in societal issues that matter, and in my time in the business, I’ve seen an impressive positive upswing of women taking leadership roles.

We’re also showing integrity in this space and leading policy change in the industry with our menopause support policy.

With my role at Aspire, I’m really excited to play a part in providing career development opportunities for my Co-op colleagues. It’s really important that we drive this activity through a gender equity lens to ensure we’re making things better.

What’s your advice for other allies to help improve gender equity at their workplace?

Don’t be a bystander – take the time to get a broader understanding of the issues in this space and get involved in driving positive change. There’s a raft of information out there, as well as countless people, committed to making a difference, who would welcome more allies with open arms. Change doesn’t have to be a huge, complex event. Individuals can improve their awareness and take responsibility for making a positive difference in their day-to-day lives – how they approach meetings, conversations with colleagues, team dynamics and structure. It all adds up.

Read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion and consider what you can do in your role to make a positive difference for your colleagues.

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