“All of us play a part in fostering a diverse and inclusive culture,” said Karen McLoughlin, Cognizant Chief Financial Officer. “I care deeply about this cause, and I’m proud to work for a company that’s taking meaningful steps to achieve better gender balance at all levels.”

March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD). In keeping with this year’s theme of #BalanceforBetter, Cognizant is holding a number of events for its associates on IWD and throughout the month.

The company’s Women Empowered program is holding a series of webinars with Sharon Weinstein, author of B is for Balance, where she’ll share practical insights on work-life balance. In India, a month of activity is planned, including an all-female hack-a-thon. In Australia, associates can view a screening of the documentary RBG, based on the life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Cognizant is also a sponsor of MAKERS, an organization dedicated to telling the stories of today's trailblazing women to inspire the changeMAKERS of tomorrow. At their annual conference in February 2019, Cognizant pledged to employ at least 100,000 women around the world by 2020.

The Cognizant U.S. Foundation is also invested in furthering the careers of women in tech. A non-profit private foundation created and funded by Cognizant, the Foundation supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and skills initiatives for U.S. workers and students. In December, the Cognizant U.S. Foundation announced a $4.1 million grant to the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), a non-profit community that works to increase girls' and women's meaningful participation in computing.

Named one of Forbes’ Best Places to Work for Women 2018, Cognizant is also an official supporter of the global nonprofit Catalyst, which provides research, tools and solutions to advance women in the workplace.

“I’m inspired to see how teams around the world have embraced gender diversity as a cause worth championing,” said McLoughlin.