March 8 was International Women’s Day, so this week, Candlewick members posted their thoughts on the day. First up, Catherine!

International Women’s Day is a great day to celebrate the cultural, political, and social achievements of women, as well as take time to discuss issues faced by women of the world.

I have always felt a sense of pride having been born and raised in New Zealand. New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world in which women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections, all the way back in 1893!

And, whilst we weren’t the first, we have had 3 female prime ministers! (2 of which came from my home town)

Working at Candlewick, it feels empowering to be surrounded by so many intelligent and strong women in the workplace. I look forward to seeing how Candlewick, where these women work, will grow in this new social era.

Next up, Ishii!

Candlewick has female employees at various stages in their lives, including those who have small children and try to balance work and parenting, and those whose children have left the nest and are seeking her own career advancement as a second phase of their lives.

We support flexible work styles, such as remote or shortened working hours, to suit each individual’s lifestyle, while constantly evolving to create a hybrid work style that is efficient and achieves results.

I believe that more comapnies in Japan adopting this working style will be one of the keys to a more gender-equal society.

Last up, Gemma!

I am from the UK, and while we have come far in reducing the gender gap, we still have a lot of work to do. The pandemic exacerbated the pressure on women especially, with the balance between work, homelife and home-schooling difficult to maintain.

I lived and worked in Japan for nearly 18 years, and in all my work experience in Japan I have never experienced a company as supportive of women in work as Candlewick.

Working as a mother especially can pressurise women into working like they don’t have children, and parenting like they don’t have work. Founded by a woman, Candlewick supports women in all stages of their lives and careers, allowing the opportunity not only to work, but supporting them to develop and grow.

There’s still a long way to go, but I feel lucky to have been born into a generation where gender doesn’t represent the barrier it used to. I just hope more organisations in Japan take on Candlewick’s approach, and recognise the untapped power of women and mothers in the workplace!