What form & shape does equity take at Pendulum?

Every year, I must admit that while we forget to commemorate other internationally recognised days, Women’s Day tops the list of “forget it not.” Reflecting on why this is so, I cannot help but reference the words - a question, really - sung by Beyonce, “who runs the world?” I'm pretty sure the answer to that question is one that is universally accepted and decreed to be true. Girls. Women. Her. She. 

What a mark of dishonour it would be for us to not take a moment to recognize, appreciate and honour the rulers of the world. 

And so, this year, we proudly join the world in REMEMBERING and commemorating International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Embrace Equity.’

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equity

/ˈɛkwɪti/

noun

1. the quality of being fair and impartial. "equity of treatment"

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To meaningfully participate and experience the day and theme in its fullness, we at Pendulum had reflective episodes in which we defined what equity meant to us. Not only as individuals but as a collective; {because} you cannot embrace what you do not know.  

We asked, “What does equity mean to you? As a person/leader/creator/individual/parent, how do you see equity in your life? How do you see us at Pendulum collectively embracing equity?”

"Equity is not a goal, a set of metrics or a checklist. It is a way of being, a mindset, a practice. Equity is a Verb." ~ Dr. Christine Ortiz, founder of Equity meets design

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Here are some recurring themes evident in each response:

Equity in/is diversity - who you are & where you come from is not a barrier. From Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa to Hawaii to Germany to Argentina to Croatia to the United States of America, the Pendulum team is composed of a widely diverse team representing different cultures and backgrounds.

Equity in voice - what do you think? What is your idea? Everyone at Pendulum can freely share their opinion without fear of repercussions.

Equity in/is inclusion - what should be done? How can we achieve this? At Pendulum, equity is demonstrated in the involvement of staff in decision making on how the company is run and its direction. Beyond that, our leadership team has a strong and solid representation of women leading machine learning operations, growth and global operations.

Equity in/is equipment - what do you need? How can we support you? Pendulum encourages personal and professional development and has recently set up a fund that each employee can tap into to advance and support individual growth.

Equity in/is individuality - Individuals have different backgrounds, histories and experiences - some previously disadvantaged and discriminated against. Recognising equity in individuality requires that we strive for all individuals to have access to and be able to achieve the same “opportunities”; this means that we might need to give different people different things, in order to achieve this and to account for history's wrong doings. At Pendulum, we treat employees as individuals with individual needs; identifying, respecting and honoring those needs to achieve the same opportunities. Equality is not equity! 

‍Equity in/is opportunity - Intentionally attempting to identify and remove the barriers that have prevented some groups from fully accessing and participating in certain opportunities. It is intentionally hiring and making room for women at tables without assigning a ‘prove why you belong here’ tag. It is equity in all opportunities including compensation because gender should never be a determinant of how much a woman is ‘worth’.

Equity in the present for the future - Presently building a future for women that we can be proud of to ensure that the next generation doesn't struggle with the same stigmas and biases that we struggled with. It's ensuring a future that embraces the path of equity to achieve equality.

Equity in/is unity - Pendulum provides an inductive environment that fosters unity in shared values to create and deploy a positive impact globally. 

‍Equity in/is ownership -  ‘Tech-up’ space. You belong here. 

To sum it all up, Pendulum will work to ensure our team accurately reflects the diversity of the world around us. We believe it is necessary to not simply celebrate women's achievements, but to also use our power and privilege to increase their visibility, opportunity, and influence. Elevating and advancing gender parity, especially in technology, bolsters innovation which is at the core of the Pendulum mission.

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