Here’s another list blog on well, blogs. Not because it’s easy to put together – believe me, with gender diversity as the topic this one wasn’t. I actually compiled this list while looking for other people who felt the urgency of getting more women into the workforce, especially in emerging economies. Who realized that if gender diversity wasn’t consciously driven, the injustice done to both the organization and the women who were being left behind could be devastating.
The list is in no particular order – and the ones who are included are those who are doing a good job at providing an avenue to share information, experiences and bring together men and women together in balancing the scales for both genders in the workforce.
1. Asian Development Blog (Gender)
Part of many initiatives by the Asian Development Bank, this blog hosts a number of topics regarding the development of the region along with live chats on all topics. The blog’s gender diversity section promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment. Overall this blog really is a good one to keep a pulse check on gender diversity in Asia.
I especially appreciate the unique angles reported by this blog such as Making the Top 100: Where are the Women Water Leaders in Asia and the Pacific? which talks about the challenges of compiling lists such as “The 100 Most Influential in the Water Section in Asia”. It’s hard enough to find Asian leaders on Social Platforms such as Twitter and honing these lists to include only women is currently a super challenge.
2. Women of HR
There are 8 people behind the doors of Women of HR and they’ve worked hard to create a resource hub for the development of women in HR and the business world. It’s essentially a community for both women and men to take part in the issues driving gender diversity.
There’s a lot of writing in this blog coming from personal experiences and that’s always the most interesting and informative to read. Their Book Review section, though not updated as frequently as I’d like has some great references and reviews for books that any women in the business world should look at.
Doesn’t the name of this blog just define what it’s about? There’s a certain way women work and they have expectations which need to be met. And come on, it’s not that big of a deal – we all know that this is the case and by not meeting these expectations we’re negating the importance of 50% of the potential workforce. But what really makes them stand out is they specifically focus on women in growing economies – and that’s one powerful market.
They’ve placed themselves as the online “How-To Succeed” guide for women in growing economies. There’s a ton of expert advice and equally as important insights from inspiring women. Interestingly, these stories are sorted by region so that women from all countries can find other women to relate to and connect with.
Another community centric blog, Women Power Business brings together women from different industries to share their experiences and advice. The entire blog is so well designed and visually appealing you’ll end up spending more time there than you intended to…you have been warned.
They talk about real topics which crosses many people’s mind whether directly involved with gender diversity or not. Gender Leadership Styles – Is it Really Men vs Women? and Opting In – Advice for Moms Heading Back to Work are just two examples of their collection of posts. From all the blogs that I go through regularly, this is perhaps one of the most interesting I’ve come across.
Founder and editor of the blog, Andrea has an MA in Gender Studies and started the project to address gender and discrimination both in the workforce and amongst children as well. I’ve often felt that people who work for a passion rather than for recognition find success without really looking for it and I think that’s what she’s set out to achieve.
The topics discussed in this blog are vast and relevant. From What we need in order to reach Gender Equality to Women and politics: lessons learned from Finland, Tanzania and Nepal there’s a lot of interesting facts and figures which highlights the importance of driving gender diversity.
Have I missed any blogs on gender diversity that you’re aware of? If yes, please share them below. And one final “well done!” to all those involved in getting women to the places they deserve in the workforce!