Time's up on global gender inequity

March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a time to honour the social, political, cultural and economic achievements of women across the world. Though in many ways a day of celebration, it is also a time to reflect on where we are in terms of forging a world where everyone – regardless of gender – has unrestricted access to the rights, freedoms and opportunities that enable us to flourish and realise our full potential.
 

How does equity differ to equality?

Anchoring this year’s International Women’s Day is its theme – #EmbraceEquity. If equality is the end goal, then equity is the means to get there. It is the acknowledgment that, as a group, women have a range of intersectional experiences and characteristics that need to be recognised, understood, and – where appropriate – accommodated in order to create a level playing field. For gender parity to become a reality, we need to establish a culture that enables them to thrive in every aspect of their lives, whether that’s work, health or education.
 

At a glance: how do we embrace equity?

• Reflect honestly on progress
• Call out discrimination
• Promote gender parity

Leaving no woman behind

All the arguments about equity for women, of course, amount to nothing if we lose the global perspective that International Women’s Day is supposed to embrace. This means making the world a better place for women in every country, and in every society.

According to a 2022 UN report tracking progress on Sustainable Development Goals, it will take another 286 years to close the global gender gap. Globally, more than 380 million women and girls are living in extreme poverty. 102 million live in places where abortion is prohibited. Women hold only two in every ten science, engineering and technology jobs globally. These are challenging statistics, and there is no easy solution. As individuals, we can all perpetuate incremental change through the actions we take – however small these may seem.
 

1. Reflect honestly on progress

Reflecting on the progress that’s been made towards achieving gender equity can help us to continue the fight with new, greater determination, whilst acknowledging that there is still a considerable way to go. With regards to your own workplace, particularly, this introspection may lead you to ask more difficult questions about the goals set and promises made. It’s important that we ask these questions, but also – if we’re in a position to – that we answer them frankly. By being honest in our self-evaluation we can continue to create the change that needs to happen.

Whether it’s a commitment to improving workplace flexibility, encouraging take-up of shared parental leave or achieving equal gender representation at board-level, ask what – if any – measurable, tangible progress has been made towards these over the year that’s just gone. Does that progress look likely to continue? Is there anything impeding it?

If headway is falling short of expectation and you’re in a position to directly influence change, this is an opportunity to re-consider how this can manageably be done and whether the goalposts need to move. If you’re not in a decision-making role, don’t hesitate to question and challenge your organisation’s policy – your voice could be the catalyst that inspires others to join.
 

2. Call out discrimination when you see it

Witnessing gender discrimination – particularly at work – can often put us in an awkward position, and the form it takes could range from anything from an unchallenged microaggression to sustained, overt bias in language and tone. Whatever it might be, it’s likely that the questions you ask yourself will be the same. Should I speak up? Am I taking this too seriously? Would anyone else support me?

Confrontation is something that we’d all rather avoid, and the self-doubt you may feel is certainly natural. But the fact is that calling out discrimination doesn’t have to be personal. The objective of doing so – whether at work or otherwise – is to help build a culture where people feel supported, included and above all, safe.

If you feel able to call out this behaviour, how you do so may depend on the situation. You may feel just a quiet word is all that’s needed, whilst behaviour that you deem more serious may need to be escalated through a line manager, HR or an appropriate employee network group. Engaging the support of allies, meanwhile, whether these are fellow team members or – if you’re in a senior position – other members of the leadership team, can both enhance your resolve and create the shockwaves you need to drive action.
 

3. Push for gender parity

According to the World Economic Forum, advancing women’s employment could boost some countries’ economic output by as much as 35%. Coordinated, collective and comprehensive action will be needed to sustain progress towards gender parity – as an organisation, the auditing of any existing gaps needs to form the basis of change.

For employers, the capture and review of key data metrics, such as workforce demographics and hiring, progression and attrition rates, will help identify where you need to implement strategies for closing these gaps. These could consist of reskilling and reintegration opportunities, strengthening female leadership in underrepresented areas or greater proactivity in laying the ground for gender parity in emerging industries.

As an individual – regardless of your gender – speaking up, supporting and celebrating the achievements of women both establishes you as an ally and helps to erode legacy workplace attitudes that may historically have impeded progress towards true equity.

We're committed to empowering women as they become the leaders of tomorrow, so we've created the Leading Women at Hays network to support professional women, now and in the future. As a lifelong career partner, we'll connect you with the right people and share the insights you need to excel as we pave the way toward a stronger, fairer and more inclusive working environment.

You can learn more about our upcoming Leading Women at Hays events here, or to find out how we can support your career or help fill a vacancy at your organisation, speak to one of our United Kingdom / Ireland expert consultants today.