In March of 1908, 15,000 women marched through the streets of New York City, demanding that their employers offer shorter hours, more pay and better working conditions.  A year later International Women’s Day was established to commemorate the protest and to continue the momentum that was begun that day in 1908.

Almost a century later, in countries all over the world, people celebrate International Women’s Day in countless ways. Companies with a global focus mobilize their global workforce to use the holiday as an occasion to talk about how they can advance the women in their ranks.

We profile what one company, Accenture, has done to take the lead in using this day to raise awareness about the issues women face in their workforce, and to help start conversations that continue throughout the year.

Valerie Benjamin, Accenture’s Director of Global Inclusion and Laila Worrell, Head of Accenture’s New York Women’s Initiative, outline their plans for the 2007 event. They also talk about the many ways that the company and its employees benefit from the energy surrounding their International Women’s Day program.

This podcast was produced in collaboration with Hear Now Productions.