I AM A F*#!@$...

I am a feminist. There, I said it. It shouldn't be a bad word.

Today is Women's Equality Day and for me, it's a day of self-reflection. I've never actually labelled myself a feminist, but I now realize that was cowardly. Feminism isn't about being against men, it's about focusing on the gender gaps and finding collaborative ways to close them. Men are integral to this movement because what feminism is, is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes."

I am fortunate to have many strong female role models in my life. They have been breaking down barriers all their lives and they have inspired me to try to do the same.

My grandmother, Grace Simpson served overseas in the second world war as a nursing sister. She was one of 50,000 brave Canadian women, who represented 5% of the more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served. Although my grandmother was a nursing sister, she was also a fighter. A gun accidentally went off and shot my grandmother in the neck. The bullet traveled through her body, missing her heart by mere millimeters and was removed from her left armpit. She wore this bullet on a chain as a symbol of strength and determination to survive. My grandmother served for equality.

My great aunt, Lenore Simpson is a nurse turned entrepreneur. She was one of the first business women in Windsor, Canada and has been breaking down career barriers since 1970. She started her own temp staffing agency called Lenore Simpson Personnel and placed many women and men in the community into their first jobs. Her and her trademark red hair graced billboards around the city and to this day, people still thank her for giving them their start. My great aunt created opportunity for women in business.

My mother, Karen Smith is also a nurse. She raised me as a single mother, working 80+ hours a week at multiple jobs to provide for us. She inspired my work ethic and is the definition of grit and resilience. Nothing has come easy for her and yet she persevered and always found a way to not only provide for me but to also care for others during their times of need. My mother defied all odds, despite the statistics.

Today, I am asking myself, what more can we do? What more can I do?

Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to women. The amendment was first introduced in 1878. In 1971, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.

Suffragism and the right to vote was a fundamental step in the right direction for gender equality. It gave us voices and the ability to influence. Despite this date commemorating such an important milestone, I can't help but find some frustration in the fact that we are celebrating something that happened 140 years ago. It's time we check off another fundamental milestone on this movement and celebrate that, starting with equal pay.

Shelley Zalis, CEO of The Female Quotient said it best in her article for NBC news.

Equality is not a female issue; it’s a social and economic imperative. In fact, up to $28 trillion could be added to the global GDP if we achieve full gender equality by 2025, reports the  McKinsey Global Institute .

Based on the current trend, it will take 217 years to close the gender pay gap. That should make us all cringe. How can we create change without movement?

In addition to being a feminist, I am also an environmentalist. There is lots of work to be done but I am impressed and intrigued by the momentum we've been seeing recently around #Strawssuck. I think this is an important first step and I'm happy it’s putting pressure on big companies like Starbuck’s, Hilton and American Airlines to make changes at scale. If we can inspire action for plastic straws in a relatively short period of time, than there has to be a better, faster approach to applying the same pressure for equal pay, not only for women but for all minorities. Even today, on Women’s Equality Day, there is greater search interest in “Plastic Straws” than there is in "gender equality" and "equal pay."

We need greater change and fast.

To all my fellow women, we must speak up, challenge the status quo and take actions to close gender gaps. We cannot be afraid and we must lead the charge.

To all the men, ask questions and seek to understand the issues. Be our allies and leverage your privilege. Don’t underestimate how crucial your support is.

To all my fellow HR leaders, people are counting on us. Don’t ignore the power we have to influence our peers, colleagues and companies.

And finally, to all companies and C-suite leaders, 217 years is not a viable timeline. Revisit your action plans and work back schedules and insist on closing the gaps today. Don’t question the impact change will have. We are all counting on you.

May we celebrate the 19th amendment while charging forward with the next. Here's hoping that by 2025 or sooner, we have a new observance to add to the calendar.

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