IWD2019: Catalyst launches #BiasCorrect campaign to tackle Unconscious Bias

Catalyst, the leading global non-profit focused on creating workplaces that work for women, is marking International Women’s Day by launching a bold campaign to tackle one of the biggest gender equality issues in the workplace: unconscious gender bias.

The new campaign, which features women from diverse industries,aims to shine a light on the power of words used to describe women and encourage people to #BiasCorrect by paying more attention to theirs.

“Women and men with the same talents and skills are often described in very different ways due to unconscious gender bias, creating invisible barriers that can have an enormous impact on women’s advancement,” said Lorraine Hariton, President and CEO of Catalyst. 

“The good news is Catalyst’s resources provide ways people can overcome their own unconscious biases. The #BiasCorrect campaign is designed to spark conversations around the power of words, and more importantly, to inspire learning and action.”

Catalyst partnered with NYC-based brand transformation company Burns Group to bring its research to life with a creative idea to drive both action and awareness. The multifaceted campaign developed by Burns Group incorporates chat platforms, social media, digital assets, and outdoor placements.

Catalyst invites individuals and companies to check out its IWD #BiasCorrect web page [https://www.catalyst.org/solution/biascorrect/], which provides resources to help individuals understand unconscious bias, interrupt it, and correct it. The site includes videos, customisable social media posts for download, and information on how individuals and companies can combat unconscious bias, such as the soon-to-be released Catalyst Inclusion Accelerator, a diagnostic tool designed to evaluate and monitor how employees are experiencing inclusion.

Among the tools offered in the campaign is the first-ever#BiasCorrect Plug-in to tag unconscious bias in real-time conversations on work-based chat platforms such as Slack. The plug-in identifies words that create harmful gender stereotypes and suggests alternative language. For instance, if a woman is described as “aggressive,” the app suggests correcting the sentiment to “assertive.”“To reduce the gender gap in leadership, we must break down the invisible barriers that keep women from advancing,” added Hariton. “Inclusive leaders and managers must learn to interrupt bias to reap the benefits of a diverse workforce, including improved business performance, increased employee engagement, and greater innovation to remain competitive in the future. Let’s act now to create workplaces that work for women.”