#EmbraceEquity Interview Series with Albert Abramyan

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Embracing Equity with Albert Abramyan, Head of Bids at Page Outsourcing

For International Women’s Day, we want to raise awareness about equity in the workplace and showcase the importance of creating a work environment where everyone is treated equally and can thrive professionally. To do this, we interviewed leaders about their experiences and the ways they promote equity.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

For me personally, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the progress that’s been achieved so far, but I also think it’s a chance to acknowledge the road ahead and the things that still need to be accomplished to achieve full equity.

We as individuals can look inward and really assess whether there is true equity in the work that we do, in our personal lives and in the way we interact with others.

While it’s a day to celebrate achievements, it’s also a time to remember that there are others around the world who do not have the same equity and opportunities as women here.

What can men do to promote equity?

I think being part of the conversation goes quite a long way. I know many men think of equity as an issue for women to look at, but I think if you’re not part of the conversation, you can’t actually help achieve the equity we’re looking to put in place. 

I also think reflecting on your own behaviour with women — how you interact and how you engage with your colleagues on a daily basis — is important. But a lot of that comes with being open and putting aside your ego so you’re prepared to have the difficult, but necessary, conversations.

Men should be part of discussions about topics like the pay gap. We shouldn’t shy away from them — we should be involved in those conversations and help steer them.

Why haven’t we achieved equity, especially in the workplace?

In my opinion, it’s an issue of legacy mindset. As we develop as a society and as new generations come in, I think we’ll start to see more equity in the workplace. What we probably have at the moment is a lack of representation.

Representation needs to start at the top to set the standard and trickle down. When many of the people in leadership positions now entered the workforce, there was less equality and less equity than there is now. We’re starting to see more and more of it at the entry and base level, and I think this will slowly feed into the leadership level. It’s something that will continue to happen over time.

The lack of representation plays a massive role, but the pay gap doesn’t help either. That’s something that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. You’ll never entice people to do the work or be part of the change if you pay them less.