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Choose to Challenge: Playing our part in creating an inclusive world

Monday 8 March marks International Women's Day (IWD) 2021. Celebrated for over 100 years, it is a time to recognise the achievements of women and the progress made in terms of gender equality, but it also serves as a reminder of what still needs to be done.

This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge – we’re all being asked to “raise our hands” and “call out aspects that are unhelpful to women.” Whilst true that change will only come from challenge, how we choose to challenge will be different for each and every one of us.

To start a conversation at kp and to encourage our global teams to think how they can play a part, we’ve talked to 3 inspiring employees to see how they choose to challenge. One thing they agree on is that if we’re in a position to use our voice, we should find a way to do so.

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Lisa Pendleton, Production, Gordonsville

LisaI believe that all places are women’s places. Although things don’t change overnight, since joining kp 23 years ago I’ve always felt my site and team has equality at its heart. I’ve been offered opportunities to try new things and develop new skills. I’m sometimes amazed by what women who I’d call my role models achieve at work (Connie and Diamonec, I’m talking about you!). I admire these ladies and they certainly prove that women have a great amount of diligence and discipline. We are also great multi-taskers!

Nobody should feel limited if they’re committed and talented. I look around me and see the additional pressures Covid-19 has placed on certain people – especially those with young families. I hope this doesn’t result in a step back in terms of the (gender) pay gap.

Although things don’t change overnight, since joining kp 23 years ago I’ve always felt my site and team has equality at its heart. I’ve been offered opportunities to try new things and develop new skills.

I have lived with the belief that women must stand up for their rights. I have two older sons, and I’ve raised them to believe everyone is equal. They know they should speak out if they have an opinion. This is the only way men and women can speed up and drive forward change when it comes to gender equality. I am also a grandmother and I advise my grandkids to embrace what is going on and speak out if they see unfair treatment. It’s so important to start early and raise your kids with the belief that men and women have equal rights.

Ravi Kalkunte, Product Manager, Americas Member of Diversity & Inclusion Core Team

Ravi KalkunteI have several strong role models in my life and if they’ve taught me one thing, it is that we shouldn’t compromise until we’ve reached our goal. The same is true for gender equality – we need to set targets, stop compromising when it becomes the easier route, and be a bit bolder.

Only then will we have true diversity in our workforce, which will allow us to better serve our customers. Diversity and inclusion should sit at the heart of succession planning, and all of us have a responsibility to keep pushing to ensure change cascades through all levels of our business. 

We don’t all have the same starting line in life. But we can all treat each other with respect and challenge ourselves to not take bias with us. Compassion, empathy and understanding are at the heart of a more gender equal, diverse and inclusive society. We need to challenge stereotypes – even if that means calling out friends and colleagues in a constructive way from time to time.

Charlotte Allen, HR, UK

At kp I’ve never felt left out, or pushed aside, because I’m a woman. This might be because of our zero-tolerance policy.

Equality of opportunity and treatment are something that really resonate with me. So many elements play into someone’s identity and we shouldn’t have to feel we need to hide any part of who we are.

At kp I’ve never felt left out, or pushed aside, because I’m a woman. This might be because of our zero-tolerance policy. These issues feel as if they’re being tackled from the top, but we need to make a conscious effort to ensure we invite everyone to have a say in these conversations. As an employer we will be stronger with a more diverse workforce.

Covid-19 has highlighted the need for so many people to have flexibility in the way they work. It isn’t always obvious who has additional caring responsibilities out of work, and it is encouraging to see more employers adapting to accommodate requests to adapt workstyles. I know our family has benefited from this recently, and it has meant we can better balance all of our commitments. 

I’m often left in awe of my sister who has worked really hard to achieve her career goals, at the same time as having a young family. This has really shown me the power of a great support network, and that is something we can build within our teams, supporting each other if we need to work flexibly whist still delivering exceptional work.

I’m going to continue to build upon my knowledge in relation to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. I am eager to keep digging deeper, to educate myself more and to then share those insights with others.

Playing our part

Advancing gender equality is not just an opportunity for individuals; companies also stand to gain. McKinsey research (Diversity Wins, May 2020 ) found organisations with higher levels of both gender and ethnic diversity have greater economic performance.

One of our strategic priorities is to position kp to be the “place to be” for women in management. Currently we are working towards increasing the percentage of women in management roles to 30% by the end of 2025. We’re passionate about getting more women into the packaging sector and ensuring that they can thrive once onboard. 

However, there’s more work to do to ensure we continue to track in the right direction.  To help us do this, we have concentrated our efforts over the last year and have set up a Diversity & Inclusion Core Team, to hold all of us accountable to drive change.  

Celebrating IWD

As companies, societies and governments look to rebuild economies in the Covid-19 era, and as early evidence suggests that the pandemic has had a regressive effect on gender equality, we’re hosting a 1-hour panel session that all of our employees can join or watch on demand. 

Adam Barnett, President of our Food Packaging Division, will discuss with panelists how they’ve approached working through the pandemic. We will put the focus on managing work-life-integration through lockdown, working flexibility and building resilience and what this means for the future.

Will you #ChooseToChallenge?

We are proud of the diverse and inclusive workplaces we have created at kp but we know there’s still a lot of work to be done. From celebrating women's achievements to raising awareness against bias, we all have a role to play in creating a more inclusive world. 

It is not enough to say we are lucky to work in a business striving for gender equality. We have a responsibility to look around us and call out any discrimination, gender bias and inequality we see.

Collectively, we can create an inclusive world. We hope some of our colleagues choose to join members of our leadership team as they strike the #ChooseToChallenge pose.
From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.