👩 Women shaping the Future of Work

Show me the Receipts

To set the stage, I wanted to share some facts and figures about women in the workforce.

• Change is too slow - At the current rate of progress, the UN estimates it will take another 286 years to reach gender equality.

• Minimal investment - Companies founded solely by women account for < 3% of all venture-backed investments

• Scarcity of woman CEOs - 90% of Fortune 500 companies have male CEOs

• Caregiver tax - Women are 5x to 8x more likely than men to have employment affected by caregiver responsibilities

• Low trust and sentiment of equality - Only 11% of women strongly believe that their male colleagues respect women as they respect other men in the workplace

• Wage gaps exist - Not all ages or occupations are treated equally (see below)

  
  

👊 Smash the Patriarchy 💥 

International Women’s Day is on March 8th and companies around the world will be vocal on social media. Here are some do’s and don’ts to help you promote actionable change instead of adding noise.

💅 Cute ideas to smash the patriarchy.

Salary transparency

On average, women are paid 17% less than their male counterparts.

• Reach out to a peer and share your salary, wholly and transparently.

• Review your team’s salaries and evaluate if there is a gender pay gap then do something about it if it exists.

#InvestInWomen

This is the UN 2024 International Women’s Day theme.

• Invest in women-owned businesses. Make a conscious effort to evaluate where you spend your money.

• Check your vendor lists, are they gender-fair? Businesses can join the Coalition for Gender Fair Procurement which aims to advance gender equality by leveraging the power of corporate procurement as a lever for change. Check out Julia Gillard, the former Australian Prime Minister’s support for the program here.

  
  

Understand the impact of intersectionality

Black women in the US are paid, on average, 62 cents for every dollar earned by white men, equaling almost $100,000 in lost wages throughout a 40-year career.

• Recognize that forms of systemic discrimination intersect with each other and present unique challenges for affected individuals and communities.

• Review your data. Ensure that data collection does not overlook the experiences of individuals with intersectional identities.

Diversify your consumption

Only 22% of top news editors are women (across 240 major news outlets in five continents).

• Spring clean your follow list and remove voices that don’t match your values or that limit opportunities for women 

• Find and follow diverse voices. I challenge you to follow 10 new people this month on top of ongoing follow mindfulness.

Advocate for fair working policies
Lack of childcare is a growing concern. 52% of mothers are considering leaving the workforce due to inadequate childcare.

• Ask a colleague about the challenges, barriers, and requirements they have that are hindering or aiding their ability to work.

• Call out unfair work practices. I like this post about ways to speak out as a woman, an onlooker, or a manager.

🙅 Ways to avoid pinkwashing and slacktivism

1. Educate yourself. Listen and hear the voices of women. Actively seek out content and information to understand the realities of their experience and break through your own biases.
   

2. Question your intentions. Reflect on your motivations for supporting certain products or campaigns. Are you genuinely interested in contributing to a cause?
   

3. Selective and meaningful engagement. If it’s not your month, try to be mindful of whether your voice is needed. Choose to amplify the voices of women rather than adding noise, where appropriate. Encourage open discussions about social issues, listen to diverse perspectives, and actively participate in conversations that promote understanding and positive change.
   

4. Take action. Move beyond symbolic gestures and actively support organizations and initiatives that work towards real change. Avoid falling into the trap of performative activism by engaging in substantive actions.
   

5. Avoid tokenization. Rather than making only a symbolic effort to give the appearance of equality, address structural barriers that prevent full and meaningful participation by underrepresented groups (ex. bias in hiring and promotion practices, lack of mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, and inadequate diversity and inclusion training).