Finding Parity

Organizations that don’t address gender equality on the front end stand to lose the most.

Gender equality has become a much more talked-about necessity in today’s workplaces, with women making significant strides in improving their representation and career opportunities. Despite much progress, there is still much work to be done.

Women earn less than men on average, receive less frequent promotions and are significantly underrepresented at the highest levels of business leadership. This is particularly jarring because, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, nearly 60% of all enrolled college students are women. Gender equality must remain a priority for organizations if real and lasting change is to be achieved. The potential for innovation and enrichment that can result from a workplace diverse in gender can no longer be ignored.

According to findings by the Boston Consulting Group and published in Forbes, incorporating greater levels of diversity

by shika hershel, phd

within an organization leads to higher levels of adaptability and creativity. Gender equality not only helps invigorate a company’s vision but also signifies progressive industry values that inspire meaningful change and foster group dynamics.

Tamika Dew, director of government proposal operations and contracts for the A.E. Perkins Holdings Group, believes that promoting diversity is the first step in leveling the scales with other equities in the workplace. “It starts with diversity,” she says. “Diverse teams perform better than homogeneous teams, but only if they are managed inclusively.”

Women make up half of the population, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in corporate America. The lack of representation is particularly pronounced among women of color—society has institutionalized their exclusion from career opportunities and a say in critical decisions. Gender equality reinforces a culture of parity that fosters progress.

In corporate America, women are significantly underrepresented in powerful positions and women of color are especially disadvantaged, Dew says. The most senior roles are held disproportionately by men, with women making up only a quarter of C-suite leaders and women of color fewer still. Despite this pattern, women have worked to advance themselves in recent years, but the pathway to parity still has some obstacles.

“Women in high-level positions are overworked and underrecognized as a result of dynamic culture shifts within organizations,” Dew says. “Companies have performed massive layoffs and restructuring that has left women in high-level positions having to do more with less. Women are just as ambitious as men, yet women have to perpetually work harder to prove their value for top positions.”

As women leaders continue to make their imprint on the workforce, they are increasingly looking to create a work environment that is more conducive to employee well-being and inclusivity. This has become even more meaningful to women in positions of power as they strive for a better culture, one that often necessitates increased job flexibility and greater commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion. It is this quest for a better environment that often leads women leaders to leave corporations where these efforts are not being pursued or valued to seek out organizations with such initiatives.

The pandemic had a devastating and near-immediate effect on women’s employment, with working mothers, women in senior management positions and black women being particularly hit hard. With employees facing huge challenges in caring for young children at home during lockdown periods, the International Labor Organization reported that female employee numbers declined by an alarming 4.2% in 2020 compared with the previous year.

“Companies need to wake up and thoroughly commit to real change,” Dew says. “Women in these top positions want to work for good companies that show and prove they are committed to driving positive change with what women value most.” This last point is particularly salient since there is now a template for aiding employees forced to stay home and work while taking care of children during a pandemic.

Companies are making significant strides to end gender bias in the workforce through dedicated hiring and benefit initiatives. Companies like Microsoft, IBM and Adobe have all taken actions to ensure their workplace is an equitable place for both genders. These trailblazing companies are leaders in embracing equality by offering onsite child care facilities and parental leave policies, providing job opportunities for women with engineering and technology backgrounds, and encouraging gender-balanced decision-making processes.

Gender equality has been on the table for a long time and its importance is becoming increasingly clear. It not only makes for a just society but significantly increases economic growth.