#IWD2018: Google Will Now Distinguish Businesses Owned, Led or Founded by Women on Business Map

Google has announced that as part of the 2018 International Women’s Day Celebration, it will now allow businesses owned, led or founded by women to be distinguished with the female gender symbol in Google Maps listings. According to a blog post, Google promised that the feature would be rolled out this week.

Hence, users will now see the new descriptor with details in business listings, along with other descriptors of the business (say whether the business has other offerings such as kosher food, outdoor seating and Wi-Fi).

According to Reuters, the new women-led attribute feature came about as a result of suggestions by Google employees. The employees are also responsible for similar features launched last year: those that identify businesses owned by gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender individuals.

Google spokeswoman, Liz Davidoff was quoted to have said by email:

We strive to organize the world’s information in a way that is inclusive of all people. We have added the women-led attribute to empower women-led businesses to succeed online and help people find places to visit using Google Maps and Search.

This is one of a few activities Google has rolled out to mark the International Women’s Day Celebration. Others include a live talk, in collaboration with MadewithCode to celebrate the female “warriors of Disney”. The session will feature Oprah Winfrey, Ava Duvernay, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Storm Reid.

Join @googletalks and @madewithcode as they welcome the warriors of Disney #WrinkleInTime for an #IWD2018 live talk.

👀 @Oprah, @ava, @stormreid and @gugumbatharaw
📅 3/8
🕒 11:45 a.m. ET
📍https://t.co/5pELj15DYw pic.twitter.com/65q0ELWkMY

— Google (@Google) March 6, 2018

Google also showcased the top searches on women across the globe and provided the list of top searches across countries. You will surely want to know what Nigeria thinks:

On #IWD2018, let’s celebrate the people who are advocating for a more equal world, and the inspiring moments they create. Explore top searched trends around women at https://t.co/cc0EVAWBmQ. pic.twitter.com/k0WWwKhMj4

— Google (@Google) March 7, 2018

Meanwhile, the technology giant crowned the day with a beautiful icon to celebrate the women folk on its search page. Sure enough, it is as beautiful as it can be:

From our homepage, to search trends and more, here's how we're celebrating women’s voices around the world on #IWD2018 → https://t.co/9ipKUttSOE pic.twitter.com/poay1HHBPw

— Google (@Google) March 8, 2018

We, at Technext also did our bit:

We appreciate all the women across the globe… Your efforts towards making the world a better place has made a lot of difference!
Happy Women's Day.#IWD2018 #TechNextNG pic.twitter.com/YQwuZEagl7

— Technext (@technextdotng) March 8, 2018

Happy International Women’s Day to all women entrepreneurs. Go ahead and make a difference!