5 Ways Your Company Can Advocate for Women this International Women's Day — and Year Round

Each year on International Women's Day — March 8 — employers across industries make headlines by promoting their commitment to gender equality. Some companies publish timely reports and host events highlighting strategies for women's advancement in the workplace, while some companies develop campaigns and products honoring trailblazing women.?

To continue this conversation, while it's great that countless employers show up to draw attention to International Women’s Day. The statistics simply don't show that they are walking the talk.

63% of women say that they are treated fairly, only 65% would recommend their company to another women, and 21% percent suggest they were not promoted equally to men.?

There is still a very long way to go until we reach true gender parity. So today let's discuss how to translate the momentum around International Women’s Day into real improvement for women in the workplace?every day.?

Here are five strategies companies can exercise year-round to advance women in the workplace:

1. Set diversity targets.

Companies that want to get serious about helping women will make diversity as mission-critical as their other business goals. Setting targets like this makes success — and failure — measurable. Companies that share these goals publically also take an extra step to hold themselves accountable — and potentially inspire other companies to follow suit.

2. Do a pay audit.

Despite increased awareness of the gender pay gap, wage discrepancies persist within most companies. Compensation audits help companies understand where these discrepancies are — so they can take action to not only correct them but prevent them from happening. Employers can ensure accountability by promising to share pay audit results with their employees, as well as their plans for future pay transparency and equality practices.

3. Offer paid parental leave that’s?inclusive?of all parents.

The U.S. is the only developed nation that doesn’t guarantee paid parental leave, so it’s critical that employers take responsibility and offer benefits that will help support employees — and, in turn, retain them. The?best policies?are at least 12 weeks, are 100 percent paid, and are?inclusive?of all employees and all parents — not just mothers.

4. Invest in and support your women’s ERG.

If leveraged effectively,?employee resource groups (ERGs) for women?can be crucial tools to help get more women into?management?positions by encouraging and perhaps formalizing mentorship and sponsorship, by engaging executives and?male allies, and to help enhance initiatives or parental leave benefits.

5. Acknowledge that men and women have different workplace experiences.

Research shows that?men and women look for jobs differently?and have distinct reasons for searching. While 36% of men leave their job for a higher?salary, 47% of women leave their?jobs?due to changes in their personal life or because some aspect their current position just isn’t working; work-life balance tends to be paramount to their job satisfaction. Employers that are aware of women’s specific needs and concerns will be most effective in attracting and retaining top talent.

Finally, companies need to continue to make these conversations and initiatives central to their mission. By helping to increase awareness through discourse — and then implementing concrete plans to bring their goals to fruition — employers can do their part to support women at work every day of the year.

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