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Celebrating Women + Their Impact in the Workplace

Women in the Workplace

March 24, 2021

For many, 2020 was a year that blurred the lines of work and home. It turned households and organizations upside down. Women especially bore the brunt of the COVID-19 crisis, with one in four considering leaving their organizations or downshifting in their careers. With this added crisis, now more than at any other time, it is important for organizations to ensure they are supporting and demonstrating flexibility in the workplace along with development efforts to ensure that women are able to reach their greatest potential and career aspirations at all levels of the organization.

Every year, March is designated as Women’s History Month, which honors women’s contributions in American history in a variety of fields. This year’s theme is a continued celebration of the Suffrage Centennial: “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.”

Women in Leadership

At EMC Insurance Companies, we celebrate the women in our workforce as we know women bring immeasurable value to the workplace in culture, collaboration, profitability, innovation and more. With approximately 217 women in leadership roles, EMC is taking steps to cultivate a gender-balanced leadership pipeline.

Iowa Women’s Initiatives + Events

We, at EMC, are proud to announce we will once again be the presenting sponsor of the Central Iowa Women Lead Change conference in 2021 which will enhance the leadership, networking and development of our team members, along with others. We also support many other women-focused charitable initiatives, including: Girls on the Run, the Go Red for Women Luncheons, the 19th Amendment Centennial Celebration, the Young Women's Resource Center Gala and have plans to continue looking for ways to uplift the women in the communities we work and live.

The business case is very clear for organizations that have a diverse workforce and invest in women specific development opportunities, resource groups, mentoring and talent development programs — they outperform their peers in the war on talent, profitability, innovation, engagement, collaboration, decision making and reputation.

Happy Women’s History Month!

Greater Des Moines (DSM) welcomes diverse talent to the region. As one of the fastest growing business communities, inclusion and attracting diverse talent in the workplace is a key strategy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Learn more here.

The Greater Des Moines Partnership calendar of events is a one-stop resource for activities taking place throughout the region. Find networking information for Greater Des Moines (DSM) businesses or events specific to Downtown DSM.

Lonnie Dafney

As the first diversity equity and inclusion director for EMC Insurance Companies, Lonnie Dafney is a strategic thought leader who brings more than 20 years of proven experience and knowledge in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, human resources, executive coaching, talent management, team engagement and leadership and management development.