International Women’s Day: How Multiplier Helps Companies Invest In Women

Today, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day, a global occasion set aside to highlight the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women–as well as the disadvantages they still face.

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the anticipated $360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030. With that in mind, this year’s theme, set by the UN, is “Invest in women: Accelerate progress”.

That investment might take forms other than direct cash injection; from providing resources, mentorship, training, and access to networking, to promoting initiatives that promote gender equality, such as equal pay, parental leave, and affordable childcare. Of course, it’s also about fostering a culture where women’s voices are heard, valued, and respected.

At Multiplier, we hope our ambition aligns with that of International Women’s Day–namely to create a world without limits by enabling equality and creating new opportunities. Let’s take a closer look at what that means.

More than lip service

As our recent deep dive report showed, all too often, businesses talk up their diversity credentials for their own benefit. For instance, LinkedIn’s 2023 Workforce Report showed a 168% increase in chief diversity and inclusion (CDO) role hiring since 2019. However, the hiring surge hasn’t resulted in much change yet–according to a Gallup report, 97% of HR leaders state that their company made changes to enhance DEI efforts, whereas only 37% of employees echoed the same sentiment. Yikes.

To effect real change, businesses need to go further than before and integrate female perspectives deep within the organization. As Lina Szaks, SVP of Operations at Multiplier, said in our report: “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just buzzwords; they are the cornerstones of innovation and progress. To me, as a female leader, embracing and championing these values within our organizations is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage. This advantage fuels creativity, fosters resilience, and drives sustainable success.”

There are many different pieces of the puzzle to put in place before that vision reaches its full expression, but one proven way of expanding access to the workplace for women is remote work. 

How does a distributed ​​workforce culture promote equal rights and opportunities for women?

Via its global HR Ops platform, Multiplier is broadening access to the workplace for women—who all too often remain an underutilized resource in many countries. “In places like Indonesia, India, and Japan, the percentage of the female population in the workforce is still very low,” said Sagar in a recent Debrief. “For these countries to achieve their promise of becoming a superpower, women will have to become more involved in the economy.”

“I grew up in a remote part of India, and my mother stopped working after I was born,” said Sagar. “Despite being more educated than me by any measure, she chose to take care of her children. This is not unique to India; in most parts of Asia, women often take a backseat after marriage or childbirth. With remote work, it becomes easier for women to participate—because they can work from home and still access opportunity without sacrificing their family or job commitments.”

Creating a world without limits

One of the simplest ways, then, for companies to put their money where their mouth is and reinforce their commitment to diversity is by enabling global employment. That’s because global employment and work-from-anywhere policies inherently promote more inclusivity by broadening access to the workplace. 

There are reasons beyond selflessness to make your company more inclusive. Broader perspectives internally, whether in terms of gender, culture, or any other quality, make external expansion easier.

“Take Multiplier, for example; today, we have a customer base across 60-70 countries,” Sagar explained. “How do you create a product used by such a diverse group of people, such diverse buyers across the globe? By incorporating that diversity into your company’s DNA.”

Investing in women isn’t just about equality. At Multiplier, we believe in breaking down barriers and opening doors to opportunities for all. It’s on all of us to build a world without limits together, in order to empower women worldwide to reach their full potential.

Now it’s your turn. We invite you to share your own thoughts across our social channels, where we’re posting contributions from our colleagues on what “investing in women” means to them.