International Women's Day at Heka

As one of the few tech start-up companies that have a perfect balance between women and men employees, we at Heka are proud to be avid supporters of International Women's Day and global gender equality. For us, people are hired for their fabulous personality, fantastic attributes and skills; not because of their gender identity.

And this is only the beginning! We have so much more planned this year in aid of Women's Health and gender equality. To find out more, please have a look at our 2021 Wellbeing Calendar.

Here are just a few of the notable things we've done already in aid of women's health:

• 'Lifting the Veil of Silence on Domestic Abuse' webinar collaboration with Healing Clouds
• Raising awareness for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
• In January, our Office Manager Charlotte raised £500 for Refuge
• Steph, our Co-Founder and COO, was part of the Women in Tech Forum; The Art of Confident Communication

In celebration of International Women's Day 2021 we asked our team, what does International Women’s Day and gender equality mean to you?

Steph ~ COO & Co-Founder

IWD is a chance to celebrate all of the wonderful achievements and accomplishments women have made.

We’ve taken great strides forwards towards equality but there is still so far to go, and days like this are important to remember the progress we’ve made and imagine the future we want.

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Alex ~ CEO & Co-Founder

International Women's Day is an excellent opportunity to showcase the inequalities that still exist. At Heka we are proud to have a team that is made up of more women than men.

However, whilst running a business with a female co-founder, I have seen first hand how underrepresented women still are in so many industries. A lot of change has already occurred, but there is so much more that needs to be done.

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Millie ~ Accounts Manager

International Women's Day to me is a time to celebrate the achievements that brave and strong women have made so far in creating a more inclusive world to live in. It's also a chance for us now to look forward and see what else we can do to help future generations.

I am lucky enough to have a mum who is fiercely independent, intelligent and hardworking. As my main role model, she inspires me to be the best at whatever I do, and I hope that one day I can be the same for someone else.

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Char ~ Office Manager & Engagement

International Women's Day and #choosetochallenge are forcing more and more people to acknowledge the issues that specifically affect women, just because of our gender and the way we look.

It calls out the inequalities we face, celebrates our achievements, acknowledges the injustice women face and creates a stronger community of people fighting for women's rights, all over the world.

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Em ~ Brand & Community Manager

IWD is a day I use to acknowledge all of the amazing women in my life, the incredible things they've achieved and the obstacles they've overcome.

Illnesses and conditions that affect only women are often overlooked and stigmatised. I'm campaigning for awareness of these health issues to ensure we're able to access adequate care when we need it.

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Lottie ~ Wellness Manager

International women's day to me is a day of celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

It's also an opportunity to honour those that have been at the forefront of the fight against gender discrimination and a reminder that we need to increase our efforts to empower women in the quest for equality.

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Harry ~ Provider Development Rep

For me, International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate women’s achievements, but also reflect on the change that still needs to happen for gender equality. Here’s some statistics to remember: the gender pay gap was 15.5% in 2020, women comprise 77% of the labour force at high risk of contracting C19, and only 5% of CEO positions in the FTSE 100 are occupied by women. I hope this International Women’s Day serves as a catalyst to drive real change towards a gender equal world.

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Denis ~ Engineering Manager  

We still live in a world with a lot of inequality.

Gender inequality is one of the most widespread forms.

Events like International Women’s Day are important as they engage people and build empathy.

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Luke ~ Head of Sales

International Women’s Day is a moment to celebrate and be proud of the change women have made around the world, and is something we can all learn from. I am lucky to have so many strong and amazing women in my life who are there for me; day in, day out.

This year’s theme is especially powerful, as #ChooseToChallenge is something that everyone can participate in and further helps to raise awareness for Women's Rights!

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