“I want little girls to grow up knowing they can do anything, even play football.” – Jen Welter, the NFL’s first female coach.
This 8th March, we join people around the world in celebrating women’s achievements as part of International Women’s Day. The very first International Women’s Day was held on the 19th of March 1917, being recognized in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. It was later celebrated officially by the UN in 1975.
However, the day remains independent from any specific organization or group. As the International Women’s Day website says:
“No one government, NGO, charity, corporation, academic institution, women’s network, or media hub is solely responsible for International Women’s Day. The day belongs to all groups collectively everywhere”.
Will International Women’s Day be different this year?
Because International Women’s Day is independent and global, every person and organization is free to organize the events they choose. This usually means that each year, diverse celebrations and campaigns are launched.
This year, many countries are still facing lockdown restrictions with social distancing guidelines. However, that doesn’t mean that the events have to stop. The International Women’s Day website has several pages dedicated to connecting communities around the world, with in-person and online events listed by country.
Statistics on Women in Translation
According to 2020 research published by the European Commission, women account for over 75% of independent language professionals and about 55% of language company employees. This research includes responses from 45 countries worldwide.
Language studies seem to attract a higher number of girls at the school level, too. In 2018, The British Council found that only 37.9% of UK boys sat one of their secondary school (aged-16) exams in a foreign language, compared with 50.3% of girls. Moreover, girls were twice as likely as boys to achieve a pass.
Back in the workplace, The Common Sense Advisory (CSA) launched a report on the impact on gender and family in the global languages services industry. Their analysis includes information on gender pay gaps, gender balance, and preferences relating to freelance employment. Among these findings, CSA reports that both men and women in translation see women as having more positive qualities as employees.
The qualities of a great translator
A translator’s job is complex. Not only do they need a good knowledge of at least two languages, but they also need an in-depth knowledge of a specific domain. It’s important for them to understand the way languages work, the processes and types of translation, and have very strong writing abilities.
With this in mind, we’ve rounded up ten of the most important qualities translators need (in no particular order):
- Awareness and appreciation for other cultures
- In-depth knowledge of vocabulary
- Area(s) of specialization
- Passion and dedication
- Communication skills
- Ability to multitask but also pay attention to detail
- Team-player mentality
- Aptitude for constant learning
- Ability to accept criticism
- Excellent time-management skills
A special thank you
At Future Trans, we would like to thank all the women in our team, who demonstrate these attributes on a daily basis. We appreciate their dedication and the hard work they put in to make our translations stand out.
Find out more about our team and how we work on our About Us page.
