The 8th of March is International Women's Day, and we decided to sit down with one of our inspiring leaders at Routes To Work - Danielle Jarvie, Head of Operations. She shared some of her thoughts on her career journey and the #embraceequity theme for this year's International Women's Day.
What has your journey in your career been like?
I have had an enjoyable prosperous career from starting out in hospitality management when I was 19, through to managing hospitality events at major sports grounds in Glasgow and Edinburgh, then finally finding my home delivering Welfare to Work contracts. During this time, I have been inspired by many great leaders as part of my own leadership journey.
Why do you think gender equity is important?
We all deserve to be treated equally, our starting position should not be a factor in our career aspirations or our choices, nor should it decide which opportunities are presented to us. Equity effectively disregards that starting position and gives everyone a level playing field we all deserve. Where equity is not applied there can be a missed opportunity for both an individual and employer, in work context, to make certain that they have best candidate for a role.
What can we all do to #embraceequity on a day-to-day basis?
As a curious person I believe that building my knowledge of other cultures, backgrounds and differences helps me in my journey of embracing equity. Only through knowing can I truly appreciate the journey of those around me and with the knowledge can I assist in creating a fair working environment for my teams.
How can we create more inclusive workplaces?
The psychological safety of our teams is an important factor in the creation of an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging, afforded the opportunity to have their voice heard and provided with the chance to learn and develop. As leaders, our role is to create an environment where both our policies and procedures and our behaviours promote inclusiveness for everyone with an emphasis on role modelling.
What’s one message you would like to share with young women?
I would encourage all young people to stay true to themselves believing in their own life aspirations no matter their starting point and use their voice to challenge inequity.
Learn more about Routes To Work's commitments to equality and diversity here: