Women who are looking for a safe space to network can now do so through Bumble’s “women only” business feature, as reported by Fortune.
Bumble has always centered women’s experiences. When it first began as a dating app, Bumble was unique in that only women could begin conversations with their matches. The app also expanded to include Bumble BFF, for developing platonic relationships.
So, it’s no surprise that Bumble has now launched its new Women in Bizz feature.
“To help women foster the kind of community they report they’re missing at work, we’re introducing Women in Bizz,” Bumble shared in a blog. “Through this new feature, available now in Bumble Bizz, women have the option to limit their professional networking exclusively to other women.”
To turn on the feature, users just have to go to the settings menu. There will be a “I want to network with…” option, where users can select “Women Only.”
Bumble Bizz originally started in 2017 as a way for professionals to connect, share, and learn. On its site, Bumble noted that most people find their job through their network, so Bumble Bizz was a way to begin tackling some of the barriers that exist throughout industries.
In its blog, Bumble cited a McKinsey & Company study that found one in five women say they’re often the only woman present in the room. In addition, the study said microaggressions are a “workplace reality” for nearly two-thirds of women.
According to the study, Black women in particular “deal with a greater variety of microaggressions” and they’re more likely to have their expertise questioned or be asked to “provide additional evidence of their competence.”
“Representation is critically important for women, especially in traditionally male-dominated industries,” Bumble’s CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd told CNBC. “We’re helping women connect with other women to show them what’s possible and give them resources as they build their careers.”
During March, Bumble will also celebrate women by highlighting those in traditionally male-dominated fields at Women in Bizz dinners across the United States.
In keeping up with Bumble’s networking spirit, women who are invited to the dinners are also asked to bring along a mentee.