Let’s #ChoosetoChallenge in Support of Gender Equity

Each year on March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), a global event honoring the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year, the observance comes almost exactly one year after the global pandemic locked down our nation.

In the months that followed, many women—especially women of color— shouldered a whole new set of pressures and responsibilities in the face of unprecedented challenges. In fact, more than two million women left the U.S. labor force in the past year— almost twice the number of men.

Many women have had to make difficult choices between caring for loved ones, helping children learn from home, or bringing home a paycheck. In fact, 69% of mothers surveyed by the New York Times said they’ve experienced adverse health caused by the additional stress and worry.

The impact has been even worse for women of color who are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19 than their White counterparts. The December 2020 unemployment rates for Black and Latina women were at 8.5% and 9.1%, respectively, compared to 6.2% for women overall. The result: 48% percent of Black mothers in the same Times survey reported that the pandemic had a major impact on their ability to pay for necessities like food, housing or utilities.

Statistics like these should give all of us pause and fuel a collective desire to make a change.

I am pleased the theme of this year’s IWD is #ChoosetoChallenge: a call to challenge gender bias and inequality. It’s a cause I have long advocated for, and the events of the past year have only strengthened my commitment.

At Anthem, we’ve long understood how social, economic, environmental, and cultural factors impact women’s health and well-being. For years, we’ve pioneered innovations that improve healthcare affordability, quality and access. We’ve also worked to improve social justice, and ultimately help create stronger, healthier, more inclusive communities for everyone.

I am equally proud of our ongoing efforts to empower women within our own organization and the investments in the well-being of our associates and their families. For instance, over the past year, we’ve provided up to 80 hours of paid leave for certain needs related to the pandemic – such as caring for young children or supporting learning from home. We also launched a 24/7 care concierge service to help associates who may need assistance but don’t know where to start – whether it’s finding childcare or caregiver resources, working through difficult emotions and situations, or dealing with the financial impacts of COVID-19. We’ve also partnered with ianacare to empower family caregivers with tools and supports to make caring for loved ones just a bit easier.

But there’s still more to be done.    

I invite everyone—individuals, business leaders, and communities alike—to join me in challenging barriers to success for women in the workforce, in eliminating social norms that have led to women enduring a disproportionate burden of COVID-19, and in removing the health disparities that reduce positive outcomes for women.

This International Women’s Day—and every day going forward—let’s all #ChooseToChallenge.