International Women’s Day takes place on Wednesday 8th of March this week, and we here at C-Talk believe in the appreciation and awareness of the brilliant female minds within this sector. After all, studies have shown that 60% of people employed in the convenience retail sector are women and despite certain levels above management being dominated mostly by men, there have been many examples of this notion being taken, challenged, and changed!
IWD is described as a global day where the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women are celebrated globally. It is a day where gender equality is not just brought into light and left, but emphasised and encouraged. But why is the 8th of March so important, and why has it been chosen to celebrate a day that could be any day else?
Well, there have been two separate points in history where March 8th has symbolised female unity against gender inequality; in 1857, when female workers marched in protest of unfair working conditions and 1908, when they banded together to protest against child labor. These acts of unified strength earned March 8th the infamous title of International Women’s Day; and for good reason!
With the help of organizations such as Women in Wholesale and ACS, women’s unity in retail and business has never been easier. Groups such as the ‘Women’s Independent Retailer Network’ have been formed to provide women with the space needed to connect with each other, sharing experiences and varying perspectives in the sector. This act of unity is not new to the gender equality cause and can only further excel from here.
Of course, there’s no denying the discrimination and bias which still exists, even in convenience retail. Many female retailers describe the sector has male heavy, where intimidation and feelings of exclusion can still arise.
However, there is more growth to be expected when it comes to women owning businesses and independent shops of their own; it’s only a matter of time before that 33% statistic of female owned convenience businesses doubles in figure. We believe that having already made a change still contributes to future change through simple inspiration and encouragement.
Women in convenience retail are taking the world by storm and fortunately, it is not only at ground level that we see these changes; even in the board room, there are great examples of women leading the way such as Louise Host (Managing Director of SPAR) and Sarah Lawler (Managing Director at OneStop) not to mention Tracey Clements (BP) and Debbie Robinson (Central England Co-Op), who have all paved the way for future female business owners by showing that progression is very much possible within this field.
As a sector, we have many successes under our belt when it comes to career progression for women in convenience retail. We can safely say that it is a growing market that will continually be added to; the only question is now, what more can we do to help? What more can we do to further benefit and assist women who want to get involved or advance in this profession?
Our answer is simple, but we believe it to be effective; the women in the board room are inspirations, influences on others’ motivation and should be seen as such. They are what fuels determination to fellow female convenience business owners.
As we stated earlier, to make a change already creates future change, whether it means to or not!
Story by Maria Pargas
