Empowering Women At Work

In my book Her Way To The Top, I have highlighted several times how even when playing the same game, men and women are subject to different standards. But perhaps one of the biggest challenges women face on their way to the top is that we work and live in a world, culture and system that is designed for men. Without the proper infrastructure, women are unable to achieve unfettered career success. This is prevalent all over the world. In the absence of a work environment that prioritises protecting women from harassment, bullying and sexism, where laws, rules and systems are more favourable for men than they are for women, there is little surprise as to why a large majority of women find it very challenging to make it to the top.

The very tenor of most work environments underscores a dichotomy of opportunities and ensuing success between men and women. There is dire need to build on-ramps to the highway of economic opportunity for women. Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, a virtuous cycle that encourages women to participate in our economy will in turn present them as leaders in their families, communities and neighbourhoods. Even though women today are more empowered, confident and bold than they ever were, this didn’t happen overnight; it’s been a long list of advocates for women’s rights throughout history that is responsible for where we are today. These champions have fought long and hard for equality, and they continue the fight today. And that fight is far from being over, even after 100 years of suffrage.

We are capable of achieving so much more when we fight for what we believe in. I know it seems like a far-fetched idea and that we have a long way to go, but there is always a first time for everything. Women have enormous power. We are voters. We are consumers. Did you know that women make a large percentage of every country’s consumer decisions? And with this power, we can exert real pressure to push for a change in course for those issues we care about. The culture and system keeps the role of a career professional and mother mutually exclusive when in reality it’s not. Yes, personal choices are often influenced by social binds, peer pressure and familial expectations. But most career women who have cited powerful reasons to opt out can be retained if only the infrastructure (inclusive policies) was more favourable. A woman’s role as the primary care giver for her children is not just a cultural expectation, but as Caroline Perez, author and women’s activist points out: “It’s also built into our laws. The US Census Bureau considers the mother to be the designated parent, even if both parents are present in the home. When it’s a mother caring for her children it’s called parenting, and when a father takes care of children it’s called child arrangement. UK public policy also reinforces that the mother is a child’s primary carer. Child benefits are paid to mothers while men still use the term ‘babysitting’ to look after their own children. Women try their best to overcome these challenges, but as someone rightly noted: ‘The world has a way of reminding women that they are women and the girls that they are girls’.” However, there are steps that you can take to address the infrastructure gap. Here they go:

Champion A Pro-Women Policies In Your Organisations:

Getting the women to the top will require effort from all sides. It takes two to tango. Once we have mastered our internal challenges, organisations need to deploy systems and policies to facilitate us in navigating a system designed for men. And for that we will need to raise our concerns and ensure they are being addressed. You can play an important role in this by joining staff networks and affinity groups that can push for such changes. Sometimes, all it takes is creating awareness. It’s important to realise that we cannot change what we are not aware of. Talking about the challenges and creating awareness can transform minds and this can be achieved through active campaigning. As Girl Boss author Sophia says: “You will do it not by whining but by fighting. You don’t get taken seriously by asking someone to take you seriously. You have got to show up and own it.” There are several areas where women are at a disadvantage. Take, for example, gender data. In the special feminist edition of the New European, Caroline Criado Perez recognises how important it is among other things to close the gender data gap. “There is a frightening amount we don’t know about women. From medical research to car safety to economic statistics, the vast majority of the world’s data is based on men – male bodies and male lives. The result is that medication is less likely to work for women and is more likely to cause (more severe) adverse reactions.” If you work for an organisation that is responsible for such data, you can press for data parity.

The organisation policies need to reflect gender parity too. From recruitment to talent management, appraisal to compensation, management needs to revisit all policies and systems for their organisation to check for overt and covert bias. Staff members need training on conscious and unconscious bias, and every decision needs to be informed by a structured due diligence process. Corporate leaders need to hold their managers accountable for diversity decisions while discouraging any and all stereotypes that influence those decisions. HR professionals should identify rising female talent throughout the organisation and track their career paths and accomplishments. What’s more, a company should implement steps to develop this female talent: they need access to informal networks, influential mentors and stretch assignments (eg in a line role). Soliciting feedback is a critical part of this development process so that management can identify and address any subtle filters. Your affinity group can work with an organisation’s HR department to effect these changes quickly and wherever possible.

Flexi-Timings. Job-Sharing 

Women should be offered flexi-time, job-sharing opportunities and work from home options as much as possible. Men should also have access to similar choices. An employee physically working within an office doesn’t necessarily guarantee improved results or productivity. Flexible work hours, work from home opportunities, job sharing, and part-time jobs (when appropriate), are options that organisations can evaluate to ensure they retain talented mothers during their child-rearing years.

On-site Child Care

Organisations should additionally try to incorporate on-site childcare facilities wherever possible. This might not be easy to implement, but many companies have successfully done so already. Moreover, studies indicate that employee performance is higher and absenteeism lower among employees using on-site versus offsite childcare. On-site crèche facilities offer convenience and peace of mind. The employees feel valued and work harder to exceed expectations. In addition, on-site childcare also helps reduce tardiness and stress while alleviating separation anxiety. Plus, children in the workplace can add much-needed energy and cheer and help employees be more mindful of aggressive, disruptive conflicts. In the Eastern culture, there is not much concept of parental leave for the fathers. Even in the developed countries, statistics evidence that men do not fully take advantage of this leave. And organisations don’t push either. By encouraging fathers to take full advantage of parenting leave, some of the responsibilities that have been undertaken by women single-handedly for so long can be divided. Even if you are not part of decision- or policy-making in your organisation, you can still play a significant role in outlining an agenda which champions the aforementioned policy recommendations.

Enjoyed the blog? We will be discussing this and more at IWEE’S launching conference- Awaken The Potential Within at Kurumba Maldives. Buy your tickets here

Hira Ali

Author, Executive Career Coach, Leadership Trainer, Motivational Speaker,

Podcaster, & NLP Practitioner

Chief Executive Officer

Advancing Your Potential 

Founding Director for The Career Excel  and IWEE

Email: [email protected]

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