Since 1911, the world has marked the 8th of March to honor women and their achievements, known as International Women’s Day. The International Women’s Day (IWD) committee chooses a theme every year to invoke thought and purpose throughout the campaign. Last year’s theme, #ChooseToChallenge, called on us to speak up when gender bias and inequality were noticed—we were encouraged to create an inclusive world by holding one another accountable. This year, the theme for IWD is #BreakTheBias. 

Together, we are encouraged to break the biases against women in our communities, workplaces, and schools to pursue equality in a world that still has opportunities for improvement. We have the power to create a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive—a world where difference is not criticized or judged but valued and created. Collectively, we can all #BreakTheBias. 

At Wizeline, people are our greatest asset. We are proud to uphold the virtues of diversity & inclusion. We know that a diverse and inclusive workplace empowers our employees to achieve their full potential and allows us to provide services of the highest quality to our clients. We aim to foster a work environment where all of our employees feel heard, valued, and safe.

These ideals are reflected in Wizeline’s commitment to providing free educational opportunities through Wizeline Academy and empowering women through our Women in Leadership Program. Originally created by the women of Wizeline, the Women in Leadership Certification is a free program designed to bring like-minded women together and provide them with a set of tools to overcome gender barriers and grow as leaders within their careers and organizations. The certification combines community and workshops held entirely online and is available in-house to Wizewomen and the external community. 

In addition to our WILP, Wizeline also hosts Google’s #IamRemarkable workshops for our internal team and external community. The initiative empowers women and other underrepresented groups to boost their confidence and amplify their achievements. The Wizeline Academy team has trained #IamRemarkable facilitators who lead the 90-minute workshop regularly. 

To commemorate IWD this year, we are spotlighting Wizeliners who share how they are choosing to BreakTheBias within their personal lives, communities, and careers. 

Cristina Ramirez – VP of People

“I choose to #BreakTheBias by promoting equal opportunities for women and men in my company and in the community. Every action counts and can mean a great positive difference for both women and men. At Wizeline, increasing the number of women at all levels will differentiate us on how we #DoWellAndDoGood for sustainable growth.”

Rachel Pagdin – Program Manager at Wizeline Academy

“I create an intentional space for women in tech to learn, grow, and advance their careers. In an industry where women represent around 25% of the profession, I lead tech apprenticeship programs that stand well above the average, with 60% female participation. By investing in women’s tech careers, I #BreakTheBias.”

Lin Cherry – Chief Legal Officer

“I choose to #BreakTheBias by continuing to initiate conversations and raise awareness. A great way I’ve found to do this is by (i) referring people to take Harvard’s Implicit Association Test on gender and career and (ii) by leading workshops leveraging Leanin.org’s resources on 50 ways to fight gender bias.”

Sagrario Meneses – Senior Software Engineer

“I have been working in technology for ten years, and very rarely have I had the chance to work on the same team with other women. To reduce the gender gap in this area, I have become an active member of tech communities, places where I look for safe spaces and show that women also enjoy working in technology.”

Maximiliano Gutierrez Liceaga – Manager, User Experience

“I facilitate the Barbershop Workshop, an initiative to create a safe space to have open conversations about gender roles and inequality, taking responsibility for our actions and fostering positive transformation in our inner circles.”

Fátima Ariadna Pedroza Marchena – Program Coordinator at Wizeline Academy

“I think most women experience bias in our day-to-day activities. In simple things and actions, such as when you go out, you choose a sweater to wear. You pick it not because you feel comfortable with it but because the first thing that comes to mind is what people will think about your sweater. Are people going to like my sweater? I think I broke the bias when I started loving myself more. I began wearing, acting, and thinking because of me and my feelings, not because of what other people will think about “my sweater.” I broke the bias when my feelings, emotions, and goals were the most important things.”

David Jonathan Sol Llaven – Site Reliability Engineer III

“I choose to #BreakTheBias by being self-aware. I acknowledge any biases that I may have so that I can overcome them.”

Aideé Alvarez Clark – Language Instructor, Wizeline Academy

“For me, to #BreakTheBias means giving EQUAL opportunities to ALL regardless of gender or background and choosing one candidate over another based on their talents and their potential. Following this value, when choosing a new hire, I am blinded to gender and ethnicity and solely focus on their performance. Furthermore, valuing everyone’s voice is essential, and as women, the value of our opinion begins within us. Therefore, I am not afraid to speak up and speak clearly, proving myself to be rational, capable, and experienced. Also, giving the same value to others, as I lead a team here at Wizeline, I do my best to give EVERYONE a spotlight with equal opportunity to shine.”

Wizeline stands firmly in our commitment to empowering women and breaking down gender biases, today and every day. We recognize that gender parity is critical for ongoing peace and prosperity in our communities and that women are constantly overcoming social, cultural, political, and economic barriers to their success and well-being. In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring and promoting equality between the sexes, both in and out of the workplace.

When women are empowered, all of us are better for it.