Get to know Jessica Lazarczyk – Managing Consultant, Gender Equity Consulting

What’s your view on the current state of gender equity?

Honestly? I’m pretty alarmed. The disappointing statistics are nothing new (although their turn to the negative since the pandemic is something to be very concerned about), but what frightens me most is the increasingly negative rhetoric I’m reading and hearing. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as a whole, is fast being weaponised by those that are actively working against progression in the inclusion space. The slash we’re seeing in EDI budgets and roles across the corporate world is an indicator of this, it’s demonstrative of the attempt to ‘de-credentialise’ and discount the importance of EDI (and, thus, gender equity). To de-credentialise and discount the lived experience of so many of us that live in a society not built by people like us, for people like us. Now’s the time to double down our efforts and to support one another, loudly, while doing so.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m a Mum of a 5-year-old and 3-year-old – what’s spare time, again?? As and when I’m not chasing my kids around the local petting farm, reading them their favourite Julia Donaldson stories or belting out some Disney classics in the kitchen, you can usually find me with my head buried in a book. I’m an English Lit grad, although my Uni days are long behind me, my love for literature endures.

What’s your own experience of the Three Barriers and what tips would you give women navigating their own barriers?

Oh my goodness, so many memories and experiences come to mind. I’m so grateful to be part of a generation that’s experiencing many of the benefits of the hard work of those that fought for gender equality before us – but we still have a long way to go. My biggest experience of the Three Barriers in action is the assumptions: those held about me by society, within my career, and the assumptions and limiting beliefs I’ve held about myself. My biggest tip? If you ever catch yourself (or someone else for that matter) saying or thinking the word “should”, you’re probably bumping up against a barrier. The minute I catch myself saying, hearing or thinking the S word, I check for assumptions and barriers and question what I could do, instead.

Do you face the double burden as a woman with a career and if so, how do you manage it?

I answer this, consciously so, from a place of privilege. The privilege of having children in the first place, the privilege of having a successful career, and the privilege of having a husband who works in absolute partnership with me when it comes to the responsibility of raising our children. Thanks to my husband’s input, I don’t experience the logistical and practical juggle of the double burden to the same extent as many of my friends and colleagues, but – wow – the mental load? When are we going to start measuring that out equally?! My brain is constantly filled with to-do lists, anxieties, plans, reminders and the dreaded panic when I realise I’ve dropped a ball. One thing that someone encouraged me to do, which helped immeasurably, was to define for myself which balls were made of plastic and which balls were made of glass: which were the balls that could afford to be dropped, and which ones I absolutely cannot let slip through my fingers. This helps me prioritise and also ensures I give myself a break as and when I do inevitably drop a ball.