A New Normal for Women in the Workforce: How Can You Make an Impact?

Yasmina Khelifi is a French project manager with 3 PMI certifications. She has been working in an international environment for more than 20 years. Yasmina can speak 6 languages and has an MSc in Mobile Telecommunications. She is a passionate PMI volunteer. Yasmina's new co-authored book 'The Volunteering Journey to Project Leadership' (CRC Press). is now available. Connect with her to continue the conversation.

  Career Development   Organizational Culture   Talent Management  

To celebrate Women's History Month and International Women's Day, we asked some of our contributors to reflect on their experiences being a woman in the project management workforce.

Every year, International Women's Day celebrates equality. It encourages us to think about what we have achieved as societies—and if we have moved forward. The bad news is that we often realize progress is slow.

How is career advancement for women right now? And what changes can we initiate with our everyday actions if we truly want to improve the situation? Here are some ways project managers and organizations can foster women's equality:

1. Mentor and sponsor colleagues.
I've begun to mentor a young colleague. When she asked me, I didn't think twice—remembering that in my early career, I had no guidance. For me, being a reliable mentor means:

• I don't ever move meetings; I respect the time we schedule.
• I connect the mentee with my network.
• I share the trainings I’ve had, and other resources I’ve found interesting.
• I explain various career paths (and encourage my mentee to enquire about them).
• I connect the dots—for instance, when I see a valuable resource in a field mentioned by a mentor, I share this information.

Thanks in part to the sponsorship of a male manager, I was able to become a project manager. When …

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