Our Thoughts on International Women's Day 2022

March 8 marks International Women's Day, an occasion to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women. This year's theme is "Break the Bias," which you can participate in by using the hashtag #BreakTheBias on social media. At the cybersecurity group at Informa Tech, which includes Dark Reading, Omdia Research, and Black Hat, we decided to participate by asking our employees to record short videos about how they plan to break the bias and increase gender equity across society. You can watch the results here.

Interspersed with the videos are photos that highlight the results of our efforts to normalize being female in cybersecurity. You'll see panels made up of and led by women, as well as behind-the-scenes shots of the women who work hard on our events. Importantly, the men of Informa Tech sent in their commitments to breaking the bias in their own daily lives. And you'll also see our female colleagues sharing their inspirations and experiences as they reach beyond societal expectations.

According to the HP International Women's Day 2022 Pulse Survey, women in the US, Canada, and Mexico were less likely to pursue a promotion than men, while the opposite was true in the UK — 32% women vs. 26% men — and in India, where a whopping 90% of women asked to be promoted, ahead of 67% of men. Interestingly, less than half of the promotion applications in the US, Canada, and Mexico saw positive results, whereas 61% of promotion applications in the UK and 83% of applications in India were approved.

The takeaway: You have to ask for what you want. Now what we need to work on is making sure women feel supported in their ambitions, on the individual, group, and societal levels.

As Jaya Venkataraman, director of sales for Cyber, says in the opening video clip, "Societies and companies are made of individuals, and change has to begin there."

For more on International Women's Day, visit the organization's website.