As International Women’s Day approaches, we are reminded of how far women have come in forging gender parity, but we are also reminded, sadly, of how far we still need to go.

Despite our strides, less than five percent of CEOs at S&P 500 companies are women and less than a quarter of the members of Congress are women. Couple that with pay inequality and continued sexual harassment in the workplace, we must push harder and continue to speak-up and speak-out for a gender equal world.

OpTech is a women-owned business with more than 20 years under its belt, and it is our fearless leader and founder, Ronia Kruse, that has overcome insurmountable obstacles by creating a company from scratch that focuses on tech and IT solutions (overall a male dominated industry). We applaud her strength, grit and determination, and we admire her for standing up and making change. She encourages us every day, and leads by example, showing us that we, too, can break the glass ceiling, just as she did. 

Today, we celebrate the strides and progress of women everywhere, but we also recognize the need for change. We take these pledges to heart now and into the future:
“I will forge positive visibility of women.”
“I will call out gendered actions or assumptions.”
“I will try to influence others’ beliefs and actions.”
“I will challenge gender stereotypes and bias.”
and finally, “I will celebrate women’s achievements.”

Join us in forging the same path for yourself, for your daughters, your sisters, and your wives. We believe strongly in moving forward: Each for Equal!