Supporting women in the workplace is one way to achieve such benefits. Research shows these are all advantages of having a higher percentage of women in the workplace.
There are financial benefits, too. A study conducted by the World Economic Forum found that closing the gender gap could increase GDP by an average of 35%. A McKinsey study found that the most gender-diverse companies are 21% more likely to experience above-average profitability.
In addition to the benefits of having them in the workplace, there is an additional need to support women, given the increased rates of impact from the “Great Resignation.” According to the National Women's Law Center, approximately 275,000 women quit their jobs in 2021 alone due to the pandemic.
The above stats demonstrate that it is imperative to offer support to women at workplaces, as their place appears to be quite in jeopardy. If the current trend continues, more and more women will quit working, further weakening their representation in the workplace.
So, what can you do as a business owner or manager? Here are seven key ways to support women in workplaces:
1. Include women in key and influential positions.
According to
Forbes
, diversity in the workplace is one of the fundamentals of making highly productive and sustainable decisions. Yet the disproportionate underrepresentation of women in the workplace is widespread and touches on almost all fields of employment.
We need to drum up more support for women in workplaces by offering them equal opportunities to men, especially in the top positions. Then, as more women ascend to the top positions, there will be a balance of voices, especially in making decisions that significantly impact women.
In addition to promoting women, make sure they are well-supported. As a business owner or manager, you want your employees to succeed. So a promoted team member may require mentorship, coaching or more frequent check-ins to ensure her success.
2. Provide equal pay.
The
US Equal Pay Act
was passed in 1963, but still, there has been little if any ground made in its implementation. There is a overall discrepancy in the amounts that men and women earn. On average, men earn more than their female counterparts.
This differene is even more pronounced when looking at pay differences for women of different races. For example, for every 1 dollar that a white woman earns, a black woman will earn $0.63. The situation is worse for Latina women, who earn $0.53 for every dollar earned by a white woman.
There is no rationale for generally underpaying women, which worsens when the discrimination takes a racial discourse. Equal pay for all will help improve performance and empowerment.
3. Encourage women to voice their concerns/opinions.
Provide women platforms to share their concerns and to partake in decision-making in the organization. When making decisions, it's crucial for companies to consider women’s input.
Create an environment that is open to inclusion and feedback. While it may be difficult to hear some information, as a leader, it is vital that you know where your team stands. Optimal progress requires that you are aware of the true culture your employees are experiencing (as opposed to what you hope they are).
Encouraging feedback promotes diversity and makes the workplace environment a conducive setting where everyone's opinion matters.
4. Educate yourself and your team about unconscious bias.
Unconscious biases exist. This has nothing to do with being a good person or liking someone of a particular group. It is simply the way our brain processes information. While much conversation has been focused on unconscious bias as it relates to different ethnicities, be aware it also exists among genders.
As a leader, it is vital that you educate yourself and your team about unconscious bias and look for its existence in your workplace. For example, how often is a female employee asked to organize lunch or grab coffee for a meeting, as opposed to a male employee? How often is a male employee rewarded for interrupting a conversation to share his point of view?
When you notice its existence, be a strong leader and make a change. Addressing unconscious biases will help enhance your culture and employee engagement.
5. Treat all genders professionally.
Professionalism should be the overarching perspective for improved treatment of women. For instance, personal conditions shouldn't form the basis of discrimination against anyone at the workplace.
I was consulting with a company where a female employee needed to take leave to support her ailing mother. There was much side talk about the perceived lack of dedication to the job this woman had. This made her return to work even more challenging. If her male counterpart had done the same, would he have been viewed in a similar manner or more as an exceptional and caring son?
Professionalism must be reinforced as the norm for every employee in the workplace. If the values and behaviors of an individual do not match the company's standards, they should be informed professionally.
6. Support working parents.
While both mothers and fathers may be working, it is often the mother upon whom most of the household responsibilities and childcare lie. In essence, many women have two full-time jobs: one at home and one in the office. With the pandemic, there was added pressure for many moms (and some dads) to also fill the role of teacher. All this can lead to increased stress and decreased productivity.
Providing flexibility, for example, in terms of working hours, can be a great way to support working parents in general. There is a saying that trust begets trust. By offering greater flexibility, you will likely get better work from your team members as well as a greater sense of loyalty.
7. Involve men in the conversation.
Advocacy for women's rights at the workplace shouldn't be projected as a campaign of elevating women over men. Instead, it is an opportunity for men to encourage their female counterparts to become better versions of themselves.
Thus, men must also be part of the discussion rather than creating an “us versus them” battle. This means educating your employees on the essence of equality at workplaces without maligning the position of men.
Conclusion
While things may not change overnight, each step you take in supporting women is an important one to the well-being of your company. Supporting women in the workplace will help the entire culture be more engaged, productive, and profitable. Try any or all of these recommendations and enjoy the benefits.
About the author:
Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo is a Licensed Practicing Psychologist with a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Master's degree in Physical Therapy, and the authority on how to crush your inner critic so that you can live a life of purpose, fulfillment and True Success™. She’s America’s most trusted celebrity psychologist with over 100 national media interviews. She writes for Combined Insurance in an effort to help educate readers, but her medical opinions, opinions, and advice are for entertainment purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for visiting your doctor.
