Not a Whisper but a ROAR: WP Engine Celebrates Women’s History Month
This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the women of WP Engine with special programming, talks, and activities.
March is Women’s History Month, and in many ways, women today are still marching in the footsteps of our foremothers toward a better, more equitable society. This year, the National Women’s History Alliance proposed “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” as the designated theme to recognize the myriad ways in which women’s labor has provided hope and healing throughout history.
At WP Engine, leaders of our female-focused employee resource group (ERG), Roar, have facilitated a number of panels, activities, and events intended to both expand on this overall theme and start conversations specifically important to women in tech as we work toward workplace equity.
The week of March 7–11 was chock full of global programming as well as events organized specifically for members of our global hubs. Read on to see what women and their allies at WP Engine have been up to during this Women’s History Month!
Encouraging Empowerment Through Community and Conversation
Roar kicked off Women’s History Month just ahead of International Women’s Day with an #IAmRemarkable workshop on Monday, March 7. #IAmRemarkable is a Google-led initiative that aims to empower individuals to celebrate their achievements.
While this sounds simple enough, many people struggle when it comes to talking about their accomplishments. #IAmRemarkable aims to address that by improving the self promotion motivation and skills of women and underrepresented groups. Monday’s session was the first of two 90-minute workshops offered to employees, and attendees are encouraged to hone the skills of self-promotion and praise.
“#IamRemarkable challenges social perceptions and modesty norms by creating dialogue and a safe space for women and underrepresented groups to improve skills around self promotion. While it’s easy to hype up others, it can feel uncomfortable to do this for oneself. I hope every participant leaves the workshop feeling empowered and knowing they are truly remarkable.”
Shelbi Kyler, Co-Chair of Roar’s Omaha chapter & #IAmRemarkable session leader
March 8, which marked International Women’s Day, saw organizers lean into the theme of this year’s Women’s History Month with a WP Engine Panel focused on “Learnings From the Pandemic.”
Roar leaders sat alongside other female employees at WP Engine to tackle topics like starting a new role, managing teams across time zones, parenting, and remote learning, as well as ways in which the pandemic affected their approaches to each of these challenges. Hearing from these leaders provided attendees with new insights from their experiences, highlighting how the pandemic has affected the lives of women we know and work with.
Wednesday, Roar leaders teamed up with members of Hue, our ERG for LGBTQ+ individuals, for a morning Tea Time talk. Attendees unpacked the phrase, “feminism is meant for everyone,” asking important questions about the veracity of that statement, the historical impacts of feminism, which communities were excluded, which were exalted, and how we can build a more inclusive future for that takes the lived experiences of all people into account.
At WP Engine’s Omaha hub, Roar sponsored a yoga session which was made available via Zoom to our other hubs and remote team members. Those in attendance focused their intentions on wellness, both for body and mind, in accordance with this year’s Women’s History Month theme.
That afternoon, members of the WP Engine Support team co-led a RoarXSupport panel. They discussed what it’s like to be a woman in a male-dominated field, finding your voice, and strategies for securing your seat at the table, even in the face of imposter syndrome (and the many societal stereotypes that foster it).
“People love curious people, so it’s okay to ask questions. Asking a question demonstrates you’re engaged and following along. It’s okay to not know everything—no one does.”
Enid Jimenez, Director of Engineering, WP Engine
On Thursday, March 10, a discussion was co-led by members of Roar and Flourish, WP Engine’s employee resource group focused on mental wellness. Employees shared personal experiences and coping tactics to assist individuals who have found themselves at the intersection of workplace performance, mental wellness, and gender identity.
Then, at the end of the day in the U.S., Roar Trivia Night brought coworkers together in a fun, informal setting (in-person or via Zoom). Our hostesses were both entertaining and inspiring, as the two entrepreneurs behind the service we used—Raucous Trivia—had begun their virtual trivia hosting business at the onset of the pandemic!
While employees in the States were sharpening their mental muscles, our APAC Roar chapter was hosting a discussion on stereotypes in tech. Anuprita Bhomick, Head of Google Devices & Services Customer Experience joined the group to share personal stories on the topic as well as strategies for changing and eliminating the harmful stereotypes facing women in tech fields.
Friday rounded out the week with a final workshop co-presented by Roar and Rise—the WP Engine ERG focused on BIPOC and allies—and facilitated by Austin-based think tank (and do tank) Rosa Rebellion.
Rosa Rebellion was founded by and for women of color with the goal of confronting unjust systems and sparking activism that will lead to a more equitable, inclusive future for all women in all spaces. Friday’s workshop created the opportunity for all attendees to confront ways they can use their personal and collective power, privilege, and personal experiences to impact life at WP Engine and beyond.
“Keep thinking about the myths we tell ourselves about the world we live in and the culture you’re creating at WP Engine, because remember, people create the culture, not the other way around.”
Virginia A. Cumberbatch, Co-Founder, Rosa Rebellion
Calling All Powerful Women
WP Engine remains the most powerful WordPress managed hosting and innovation platform thanks in large part to the powerful women who push our teams to thrive.
Visit our careers page to find a role where you can bring your talents to a team that empowers you to bring your best and truest self to work every day!
Start the conversation.