Choose to challenge – celebrating greater diversity on IWD 2021

Diversity has become an area of focus for many organisations. However even with all these management initiatives it seems that it can still be very difficult to pick the best person, whether male or female, for the job.

It is clear that diversity in a team produces better outcomes and are more likely to be on the high end of the spectrum; as high performing teams are significantly better than others when they represent more ethical and gender diversity.

The problem is that when you narrow diversity, you are ultimately at the same time limiting cognitive diversity. You run the risk of creating an echo chamber where inherent biases are normalised and groupthink sets in.

Unconscious bias seeps into decisions. Become aware of them and take actions to prevent them by ultimately building a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

As you know women are woefully underrepresented in many industries and this has nothing to do with ability, unfortunately they could be shunted aside. Men would take more easily credit for what they achieved versus women who certainly have achieved as much as their counterparts.

Remember equality is about opportunity to make the most of every individual’s talents: being recognised and celebrate achievements.

Get involved, put yourself forward and become the next leader and be part of this influential generation.


For International Women’s Day 2021 on Monday 8 March, which this year’s campaign theme was ‘Let’s all choose to challenge’, social media saw posts from those celebrating and challenging the world norm for greater diversity. Follow the contributions and consider posting your own, the SIG committee have contributed a video of their voices to this conversation and call for change.


#choosetochallenge   #InternationalWomensDay  #IWD2021  #LeanIn  #50Ways

@APMWIPMSIG #apmwipm

Another APM activity from Monday 8 March

Women in Project Management – Choose to Challenge
In celebrating IWD day an evening webinar was presented by Pippa Savoury, providing key information that you can apply to your work and personal relationships to make a positive challenge and change.
Positive challenge is achieved through good communications and relationships, more importantly in this period when most engagement is virtual.