Those that know me know that I’m a proud father of two girls. They are the light of my life, the apple of my eye. They are smart, funny, insightful, and beautiful.
I want them to be afforded every opportunity that I had growing up. Not a leg up – but simple equality, simple equal treatment in all ways.
March 8th was International Women’s Day.
Here are a quick couple of thoughts from me:
- To societies that repress women and their right to self-determination: don’t be bone-heads. You are cutting your society off from 50% of your most important resource – brains, creativity. These are the things that lift societies up. Don’t be idiots - if you keep it up, you will suffer, you will lose, you will fall behind.
- To individuals and groups that restrict women’s reproductive rights: you simply cannot simultaneously cannot be a supporter of liberty, self-determination, and human rights while restrict a woman’s right to make her own personal choices. Don’t be hypocrites.
- To leaders everywhere (not just in IT): the research is compelling – there is little correlation between a group’s collective intelligence and the IQs of its individual members. But if a group includes more women, its collective intelligence rises. Don’t be stupid: fight for workplace diversity, if not because it’s fundamentally right, then because it’s the smart selfish strategy.
Here’s a great video from the EMC ANZ team that I saw the week before last, and the women on the team are strong, passionate, and intelligent – I’m proud to call them my fellow EMCers.
So – to all my double-X chromosome friends and colleagues – congratulations, thank you, and let’s keep up the fight together for freedom and equality around the world for all.
#MakeItHappen
