Accelerating Action: Breaking Barriers for Women in the Workplace!

By Vanessa Gentile, Head of Marketing Salesforce Switzerland & CEO/Founder, Bring Women Back to Work /Certified Coach

It’s Time to Move Beyond Words – We Need Action

Every year, International Women’s Day reminds us to reflect on progress made, but more importantly, it calls us to accelerate the pace of change. The theme for this year, #AccelerateAction, is not just a slogan—it’s a mandate. We cannot afford to let gender equality remain an aspiration; it must be an expectation, a commitment, and most importantly, a reality.

As Head of Salesforce Switzerland and Founder of the NGO Bring Women Back to Work, I have seen firsthand that when we empower women, we empower economies, businesses, and entire communities. But despite strides in corporate diversity, the leadership gap remains far too wide. The time for incremental change is over—bold, decisive action is what we need now.

Women Are Still Facing Systemic Barriers

The statistics speak for themselves:

• Only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women.
• Women still earn 18% less than men globally.
• The "broken rung" at the first level of management is one of the biggest obstacles to gender equality, preventing women from reaching higher leadership roles.
• After career breaks, women face significant challenges re-entering the workforce, with many forced into positions below their skill level or struggling to find opportunities at all.

The reality? Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

This is why I created Bring Women Back to Work, an initiative focused on supporting women in their return-to-work journey, equipping them with skills, networks, and opportunities for their next career chapter and not only we create a program to support women thrive in leadership and support her moving up the stairs within a strong supportive community. But we need more than individual programs—we need a systemic shift.

How Can We Accelerate Action?

1. Commit to Inclusive Hiring & Promotion Practices Companies must go beyond traditional hiring pipelines and proactively seek diverse talent by hiring for attitude and train for skills.

Investing in returnship programs, sponsorship, and leadership training for women is essential. However, true inclusion is more than just hiring—it’s about actively sponsoring women to ensure they are seen, heard, and elevated into leadership roles. As long as men occupy 80% of leadership seats across industries, I expect them to actively support gender diversity and take a front-row role in driving equity. Allyship is not passive—it requires real action.

2. Close the Pay & Opportunity Gap Equal work deserves equal pay. Companies must commit to transparent salary policies, regular pay audits, and proactive measures to close gender pay gaps. But pay equity alone isn’t enough—the opportunity gap must also be addressed.

At Salesforce, we have consistently taken action to close the pay gap through annual pay assessments and adjustments, ensuring equity across our workforce. But beyond pay, we also invest in leadership development programs to help women progress into executive roles. These initiatives are best practices that all companies should adopt. If your company has not yet implemented such measures, now is the time to take decisive action.

3. Invest in Women Returning to the Workforce A career break should never mean a career end. Programs like Bring Women Back to Work (BWBW) demonstrate that companies can tap into an underutilized talent pool of highly skilled, experienced women. Our latest initiative, the Executive Circle Program launching in April, is designed to prepare 20 exceptional women for leadership roles, accelerating them into the C-suite.

At Salesforce, we support women at every career stage, offering mentorship opportunities, coaching and a huge amount of trainings and structured career pathways to help them succeed. If your company does not have its own program, consider partnering with initiatives like BWBW to invest in your workforce and accelerate their leadership potential. Supporting career re-entry is not just a corporate responsibility—it’s a strategic advantage.

4. Build a Culture of Flexible Work & Support The future of work is flexible, inclusive, and adaptive. Organizations that embrace hybrid work models, extended parental leave, and structured career return pathways will lead the way in attracting and retaining top female talent. Flexibility should not be a privilege—it must be a fundamental part of workplace culture.

Leaders must actively champion flexibility by making it a standard practice, ensuring that employees—especially women—can balance their careers with personal responsibilities without facing setbacks in their professional growth.

5. Hold Leadership Accountable for Gender Equity Policies don’t change workplace culture—leaders do. Companies must set clear, measurable gender equity goals, track progress transparently, and hold leadership accountable for delivering results. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should not be an afterthought—it must be a core business strategy.

Executives must go beyond symbolic gestures and drive real impact by embedding gender equity into business KPIs. This means creating pathways for women to advance, ensuring diverse hiring practices, and fostering a culture where every woman has the opportunity to lead.

The Time is Now

Change doesn’t happen by accident—it happens when we commit, invest, and act. This International Women’s Day, I challenge every business leader, hiring manager, and industry influencer to ask themselves: What action am I taking to accelerate gender equity?

We don’t need more promises—we need policies. We don’t need more conversations—we need commitments. We don’t need more waiting—we need action.

To the women who are fighting for their seat at the table: I see you. I support you. And I will continue working to ensure that more doors open for you.

Let’s not just celebrate women today—let’s create a future where gender equality isn’t just an ambition, but a reality.

#AccelerateAction #IWD2024 #GenderEquality #WomenInLeadership #BringWomenBackToWork