What Embracing Equity Looks Like to MCAP’s Women in Leadership
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8th. Each year, a new theme is presented that serves as a catalyst for change. This year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity. Rather than aiming for equality, equity goes beyond and ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender, race, or abilities has what they need to be successful.
We spoke with a few of our female leaders to gain insight into what this year’s theme means to them. Here’s what they had to share.
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Rachelle Gregory Why is embracing equity important? I believe in giving opportunities to the best person for the role. It’s important that we give an opportunity to all individuals, regardless of gender. There’s a great balance of perspectives from both females and males, and the perspective from each is equally important. By having both groups involved when making major decisions we’ve collaborated on, the outcome of the projects always exceeds expectations. It’s also important for our business as a whole. We’re creating equality for our daughters and the next generation of young women. It would never occur to either of my daughters to think they would be overlooked for a role simply because they were women, and neither would it enter their mind that there would be any pay disparity between them and their male colleagues. What I want for my daughters is what I want for all women — to be provided with the same opportunities as anyone else. |
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Lee-Ann McEllister How do you embrace equity in the work you do? As a Sales Leader, embracing equity in the work I do is a top priority. I believe that a diverse and inclusive organization and broker industry benefits the industry as a whole and leads to better outcomes for our customers. One of the ways I embrace equity in my role is through education. I recently completed the online course 'Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace' by ESSEC Business School through Coursera. By continually learning and seeking new, relevant information, you are able to increase awareness and challenge your unconscious bias. I also do my best to create an environment where women can succeed by facilitating a monthly group coaching experience. It’s a supportive community of like-minded individuals that provides a safe and inclusive space for learning, mentorship, and development. Another area where I embrace diversity and equity is during the hiring process and through the volunteer board work I am a part of. I am committed to actively seeking out candidates with equity in mind. This ensures that we have a broad range of perspectives and ideas while also helping to drive innovation and improve decision-making. In my day-to-day work, I consistently encourage all team members to bring their unique perspectives to the table and actively seek out diverse opinions. This helps to ensure that all voices are heard and that we can make informed decisions that are representative of the diverse communities we serve. Open and honest communication is vital for an equitable workplace. |
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Susan Merlau What are ways we can make MCAP and the mortgage industry a more equitable space for women? To make the workplace more equitable for women, MCAP and mortgage industry leaders can continue to work towards having a better understanding of the complex issues that women face. As an understanding is gained, this knowledge can be applied to implement women-centric resources in the workplace. For example, women are statistically more often the main caregiver for young children or elderly parents. This makes it more difficult for women to excel in the workplace and inevitably leads to higher burnout rates. To combat this, an equitable workplace would work to ensure that these additional obligations do not impede women from excelling in their roles and that adequate resources are available to prevent burnout. |
To learn more about International Women’s Day and ways to get involved, visit www.internationalwomensday.com.
