Breaking the Bias – Words of wisdom from two women who are fighting for diversity, equity, and inclusion in business.
In light of celebrating women and gender equality in March, we reached out to two inspiring women who are #breakingthebias, excelling in their fields and moving the needle.
“We have to work together to achieve the changes we want to see, so we can really role model that behaviour.”
- Sarah Jordan, CEO & Founder Y.O.U. Underwear
Katrina Douglas BsC,Head of Marketing and Communications at FullSpektrum, a tech company providing collaborative and holistic innovations for neurodivergent children, and Sarah Jordan, CEO and Founder of Y.O.U. Underwear, a buy-one give-two ethical underwear business, spoke to Marmalade about what breaking the bias means to them, who their inspirations are, and their advice for the next generation of female leaders.
1. IWD's 2022 theme is #BreakTheBias, how do you think we as a society can help to do this?
Katrina Douglas: We will always develop uninformed opinions and biases about people that we have little first-hand knowledge of. So I think it's important to expand our personal and business networks to include those that are very different to us and genuinely seek to know and understand them. I also think allyship is important, those in more privileged positions should rally alongside marginalised groups to help advance their interests. The work we do at FullSpektrum is a form of allyship for the SEND community to help alleviate many of the biases people have towards people with special education needs.
Sarah Jordan: I feel motivated but also frustrated every International Women’s Day that we are still having so many of the same conversations and challenging the same issues - and in fact in some ways it’s actually become worse as a result of Covid and the ongoing economic situation. The personal experiences of so many women and girls, particularly from minority communities, is still so far from the diverse, equitable and inclusive society we’re striving for. In fashion, the sector we work in, it’s usually women who are treated and paid terribly through the supply chains, and women are also going to be disproportionately impacted by climate change.
Having said that, I think we have to remain hopeful and for me it’s a good thing that we are starting to realise how far we still have to go. Education and economic independence are critical and we need to support girls and women throughout their lives and career/family choices. I don’t think this is a ‘women’s issue’ though, and we need men and boys playing an active part in the behaviour changes we need to see across society. This goes from the language we use (boys’ confidence is girls’ bossyness), to recognising and cultivating the strengths women bring to the table, to calling out discrimination and misogyny when we see it. Every single one of us has a role in this and I really believe that small actions can come together to make a big difference.
2. What woman/person inspires you and why?
Cicely Tyson and Melinda Gates
Katrina Douglas: Cicely Tyson, the American actress whose career spanned more than 7 decades, not only was she the epitome of poise and elegance but she was a trailblazer who accomplished much in spite of oppression and discrimination. Her activism was to master her craft and use it as a means to effect lasting change. As an actress, she only chose roles that supported her values and propagated the messages that she wanted to put out into the world. I love her commitment to her values and only doing work that supported her purpose and legacy. My work is incredibly values-driven, and women like Cicely Tyson remind me that you can hold fast to your values, be resolute in your convictions and still achieve great things. My work at FullSPektrum is symbolic of that.
Sarah Jordan: I’m inspired by many people - but in particular by the other women I know running small and sustainable businesses around Oxfordshire. There’s a great network here and it really shows the strength locally, as well as a drive towards businesses that are making a difference, which I really believe in. More broadly I’m inspired by people who are trying to have a positive impact in the world. Melinda Gates is one of those and her work to empower women through access to education and with greater choice around fertility and contraception is amazing.
3. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Katrina Douglas: Be strong courageous and committed to your goals but be careful not to lose your identity and core values in the process.
Sarah Jordan: Be strong, believe in yourself, ask for help and support from other women, but in particular be a cheerleader for other women too. We have to work together to achieve the changes we want to see, so we can really role model that behaviour.
About FullSpektrum:
FullSpektrum (FS) are change-makers in EdTech and digital transformation, dedicated to delivering better value and social impact to all local education, health & care (EHC) ecosystems across the country, particularly supporting neurodivergent children and young people, including those with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND).
They work with many organisations, lead professionals, children and families. providing data-driven support intelligence solutions designed to tackle critical inefficiencies within each local SEND offer, as well as introducing a more accurate, inclusive, measurable, and sustainable approach towards the management of SEND and integrated EHC support services within the public and private sector.
About Y.O.U. Underwear:
Inspired by a community volunteer trip to East Africa in 2016, Founder Sarah Jordan was shocked at the number of women and children she met who didn’t have access to underwear. Believing that underwear should be universally available to people in all communities, Sarah created a business that sells ethical underwear on a buy-one-give-two model.
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