#BREAKTHEBIAS: THE ROAD TO GLOBAL EQUALITY

We celebrated International Women’s day with our female colleagues by organizing an event called "Entigrity Shakti" (“Shakti” in English means power), applauding their resilience and strength with the theme “Break the Bias”. The event was a grand success with everyone having a fantastic time.  Everything from the welcome drinks to the rock and roll dance party aided to the joyous atmosphere of the affair.

Break the Chains:

As an overseas accounting firm, we belong to an industry that has traditionally been male dominated. But it gives us great pride to share the stories of the women at Entigrity who have broken the chains of dependency and subservience forced upon them by society. With great strength, determination, perseverance and a never give up attitude they have strived to gain the opportunities and representation in the accounting industry. In contemporary culture, it takes 2X to 4X times the bravery and work for a girl or woman to be as successful as a male. For that reason alone, we should all strive to make society more equitable and balanced. And it gets much more challenging when they choose an industry like ours (Overseas Accounting), which requires you to work late nights until 12 to 1 A.M.

According to the research of AICPA, "When it comes to accounting, 28% of women finished with a bachelor's degree in 1977, but by 2011, that percentage had risen to 53% of graduating accountants, with a 13% increase projected by 2022".

Entigrity honors women throughout the globe for their personal and professional achievements, regardless of their national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic, or political influence. At Entigrity, we ensure to always have a secure, balanced and more equitable culture for women.

Today, we honor the spirit of those women who have taken on these tasks despite social stigma and barriers stacked against them. We are delighted to state that we have over 270 working women in our organization and we aim to increase this number three fold in the near future and we have made reasonable progress.

Break the Cycle:

Most Indian women have had conservative and patriarchal upbringings. To forbid women to stay out later than 7 pm is a standard practice in most semi-urban and rural areas. This has often forced women into professions that are considered safer and convenient in terms of working hours. This has led to a vicious cycle that has held back innumerable women from reaching their true potential. We, as a society, have thus lost out on a large chunk of extraordinary talents. The accounting industry is no stranger to late working hours and need for competitive drive which is why we at Entigrity work to ensure that our female professionals get all the support they need to excel in their professional and personal life. We appreciate the choice, but if you want to establish a career opportunity, we would always advise parents to promote their daughters and husbands to encourage their wives to work in the overseas accounting industry. 

Break the Norm:

Here is how at Entigrity, we endeavor to provide a safe and positive working experience for our female staff and do our part in breaking the norm:

Safety for Females:

We provide a drop-off facility to ensure our staff (especially females) safety in addition to various perquisites to its employee including car allowance, medical insurance, night allowance, special bonus, etc. As responsible employers, we firmly believe in gender equality at the workplace and consistently come up with special welfare schemes and perks to assist female professionals.

Promoting Equality:

We promote and enforce comprehensive gender equity and parity, with a zero tolerance policy for bias or discrimination. We value the talent, skills, and experience that our women bring to the table, as well as the devotion and accountability that they demonstrate when it comes to producing high-quality work. 

Break the Bias:

Since the inception of our company we have strived to create a secure and thriving work environment for our female staff. We are aware of the biases and challenges women face and we work to always provide equal professional opportunities to them. This is why #BreakTheBias is our theme for this year's International Women's Day, a global effort to raise awareness against bias and inspire action toward women's equality. The initiative aims to raise the awareness of women’s rights, and motivate women to follow their ambitions without barriers, develop women's equality in accounting, technology and recognize women who are making a difference, and empower women's healthcare choices.

Creating Good Work Environment:

"One in three women have pondered downshifting their career or leaving the profession," according to the research, "while four out of ten women have considered leaving their firm or switching jobs—and significant employee turnover in recent months shows that many of them are following through."

So, How do we foster environments in which everyone can thrive?

We begin by inculcating a culture that respects the many obligations and responsibilities that many women have—and recognize the fact that their official employment is likely only one among many. Women have historically been the primary caregivers for their families, and with the rise in multigenerational households, this includes not only children, but also parents and extended relatives. For these women, there is no such thing as "off the clock." The responsibilities traditionally assigned to females are often considered to be easy and are not given the respect and value it deserves. It is considered lesser than that of the responsibilities of males. Even today, when the number of women in the workforce across the globe is increasing, she has to juggle her professional and personal responsibilities without a respite.

At Entigrity, we believe the first step to combating such bias is to introspect and identify it in yourself and the people around you. Recognizing and acknowledging your personal prejudice lights the spark towards change. This leads to one making conscious efforts to educate oneself and bring about a change in thought and action.

Building a Healthy Workforce:

Your employees are the heartbeat of your company, and their general health may have a significant influence on the overall health of your firm. It is critical to ensure that all employees have equitable access to healthcare, especially treatment for women's health concerns. It is also critical to publicize available resources so that employees are aware of them and understand how to use them.

You should also be open to discussing your existing policies, as well as evaluating and changing them on a regular basis, to guarantee support for preventative screenings and progressive care for women's health. This includes not just physical health but also mental wellness.

So, on this Women's Day, we'd like to honor all of the hardworking women in our organization who have taken on challenges and worked effectively in this field and emerged victorious. Despite the tax season's work stresses, all of the Entigrity girls devoted their weekend to this cause to emphasize the necessity of equality, which is a testament to their strength and immense capabilities. We commend their resolve, energy, and excitement in making this day a success. #Breakthebias

Watch the glimpses of International Women's Day Celebration

Entigrity™ is a trusted offshore staffing partner to over 600+ accountants, CPAs, and tax firms across the US and Canada. Our flexible and transparent hiring model gives helps firms of all sizes to hire staff for accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation, or any other task for 75% less cost. As a firm 'run by accountants, for the accountants', Entigrity captures the hiring needs of accounting firms most precisely, providing staff that works directly under your control and management, still, you are left with least to worry about compliance, payroll taxes, overheads or any other benefits.