SnykHer celebrates International Women’s Day 2022

In honor of International Women’s Day, we sat down with some members of SnykHer — Snyk’s employee resource group for those who identify as women and allies — to learn about whatthis year’s theme of #BreakTheBias means to them.

Stephanie Dominy

VP of Legal Operations and Special Projects, London, UK

This year’s IWD theme reminds me that whilst there may be a lot of progress for women and girls in schools, the workplace, in positions of leadership, and in the media, we still have to deal with our own internal biases, which in some ways, are the deepest and least visible biases. This comes out in the way parents treat sons vs. daughters; the way teachers use different language towards boys and girls; the general reluctance in society to engage with anyone who is non-binary.

One of the small ways I try to challenge my biases is in how I raise my children. I try to avoid any gender stereotypes when it comes to the language I use, the activities they do, the way they dress, and the behaviour they adopt. My youngest son is now the person who most frequently reminds me when I am showing any gender bias! He constantly pulls me up when I say something that could be construed as reinforcing a gender stereotype. When he was aged 7, he opened up a packet of Lego Minifigures and observed that the sheet of characters had 16 Minifigure characters, and only 4 were women. He pointed it out and proceeded to write a letter to Lego to complain! I felt proud of him, and also proud of myself! 

IWD is just one day, but it is an annual check-in where I ask myself what I have done in the past year to champion women. I am blessed with a great deal and my life has been full of privilege and opportunity. Paying it forward is a constant goal of mine, and IWD is a reminder to myself to show up for that.

Mika Bar

Software Engineer, Ecosystems, Tel Aviv, Israel

Breaking the bias starts with societies applying a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, such as imposing equal pay rights amongst all genders and assuring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive social environment.

In an equitable world, International Women’s Day would be a mere celebration of womanhood and comradery. But at the moment, International Women’s Day should first remind us we’re still facing substantial gaps in our community that need to be closed, and gender inequality that we need to eliminate.

Paulina Narbutt

Sales Account Executive, London, UK

To me, #BreakTheBias starts by self-reflecting and breaking your unconscious assumptions, and acknowledging, celebrating, and valuing the differences that exist across all people. Our differences are what fuel and perpetuate creativity in all aspects of work and life. Take on the challenge of calling out actions and smashing the stereotypes to continually break away from inequality!

International Women’s Day is all about celebrating the strides and progress women have made historically. I think it is all about reflecting on past achievements and accomplishments, but still recognising the challenges and hurdles we have to overcome for the future and future generations. It is an opportunity and a reminder for us to call for change and call for action.

Yos Pang

Senior Legal Counsel, Singapore

To me, this year’s theme #BreakTheBias resembles a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is both valued and celebrated. We can lead by example in our everyday lives by intentionally breaking the unconscious bias in our thoughts and actions. We should learn to value and celebrate differences. Together we can all make a conscious decision to be aware of what unconscious bias is, and why we have bias. Having a more open mind and including a more diverse world benefits everyone.

I love celebrating International Women’s Day because it’s truly a day to acknowledge and honor women around the world for the contributions we make each day to society.

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