Gender equity - why you should be worried right now
Amanda Blesing FARPI
Helping women succeed in the C-suite | Work with me 1:1 | CEO | Speaker, Mentor, Best Selling Author | Retreat Facilitator | LinkedIn Top Voice & Top 50 Women in Leadership Influencer
THE FUTURE OF GENDER EQUITY IN A DOWNTURN
I'm worried about the future of gender equity. In recent history, we've gained so much but will the gains stick during an economic downturn?
On one hand, with new flexible work arrangements for all, women are definitely winners.
No longer will women be less visible than their male peers when they opt to work from home. In fact, COVID-19 work from home arrangements definitely level the playing field in terms of visibility and ad-hoc networking, and I suspect this trend will continue even after the crisis.
On the other hand, history tells us that in times of economic downturn we see a default to more conservative ways of thinking and women's rights tend to take, not just a back seat, but a backward step.
Research tells us that;
- 77% of men and 55% of women believe a man is the best person to lead when the chips are down
- Financial uncertainty caused by an economic crash increases the prevalence of controlling behavior between domestic partners
- Domestic violence rates tend to increase, and according to a Welsh research project in 2009, domestic violence increases when women are out of work. This is concerning as we head into a period of time when lots of women will be out of work
- When jobs are short many men and women still believe that it is the man who should have the job
- And during an economic downturn, many women lose out because of the part-time, flexible or gig nature of much of women's work. "According to the British government's figures, 40% of employed women work part-time, compared with only 13% of men. In heterosexual relationships, women are more likely to be the lower earners, meaning their jobs are considered a lower priority when disruptions come along. And this particular disruption could last months, rather than weeks. Some women's lifetime earnings will never recover." (The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism, The Atlantic, March 2020)
Let's be honest, right now in Australia, most Executive Leadership Teams are still predominantly men. This means gender equity and diverse thinking in the "war room" or at the pointy end of the enterprise working on critical solutions, may not be a priority as we all deal with this crisis.
MY CALL TO EXECUTIVE WOMEN EVERYWHERE
So my call to executive women who still have a role is this:
- Your organisation needs you, your voice and your opinion at the table if they are to not just survive but reinvent and thrive in a new and sustainable way
- Stay visible and find creative ways to gain your seat at the table and for your voice to be heard
- While your "helper" archetype may be strong, ensure your #1 priority is you, because you'll be able to lead more effectively and help more people, when you're not worn out, exhausted or ill
- Be the leader you want to see.
TO BOARDROOMS AROUND THE GLOBE
My call to the men and women of the Boardroom?
- Ensure that gender equity report cards remain front and centre so we not only deal with COVID-19 and subsequent economic and societal fall out much better, but we don't lose track of the diversity performance lever along the way.
After all, more leading women may just be the ticket to return us to more prosperous and optimistic times, far faster.
>> YOUR THOUGHTS? Comment below - Do we need to be concerned?
SHARE if you DARE to INSPIRE a WOMAN SOMEWHERE
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- Amanda Blesing is a leadership coach for executive women
- She's passionate about helping women to lead and succeed with bucket loads of confidence.
- Head over to www.amandablesing.com or DM to get in touch
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Senior People & Culture Adviser
4 年Hi Amanda, thanks for this article. I would like to react to the first point "77% of men and 55% of women believe a man is the best person to lead when the chips are down" and hope the NZ PM will turn minds around!
Experienced Compliance Leader, driven to deliver positive commercial and compliant outcomes.
4 年Very interesting read Amanda. The questions you raise are valid and a timely reminder of the lessons learned from the past crises. You’ve rightly pointed out that each of us plays a role in how we respond to the current crisis. So, let’s lift each other up, and instead of being fearful of uncertainty, be kind, and trust yourself to deliver. choose to be the leader you want to see.
Founder | Director @ Recovery Partners Australia | Strategy and Culture
4 年Thank you for shedding light on this issue. Knowledge is power. I am concerned. We did a check-in survey with our team and men are feeling much better than women are. We each need to do what we can to support and advocate for each other.
Diversity & Body Confidence Warrior | Style for every Age, Body & Gender | Corporate Image Consultant | Personal Stylist | Speaker ??
4 年Hi Amanda, Great article, and a lot to process. Our current circumstances with COVID-19 only highlight the need for female leadership. At the risk of stereotyping, this is why women like Jacinda Ardern won worldwide fans. She put the' woman's touch' into dealing with the most serious of situations. When we think of the 'woman's touch', there may be a tendency to see this as a weakness. If anything, it is a strength. I think there is a good chance we may regress for a while, in terms of women being in more roles that have been perceived as 'women's' roles. We are also seeing men, and women take roles that they would not normally take due to job loss, etc. I do believe that even some women would pick men for the job of leaders over women. Men are perceived differently and less emotional in times of stress. Men, are after all wired differently; Mars and Venus. The other thing for us to consider is that historically, it has been men in control in times of war/disease. We are in many ways, in a war, and that could be a default swing back to men also. I think there are people who would want what they have seen through history, with men in prime leadership positions, and psychologically, this could be a sense of comfort for both women, and men. Our COVID-19 is a great time for women's time to showcase their skills, and talents, so history can tell of the women who rose and who led in 2020. So to summarize, women can rewrite the history books. Go, girls, strut your stuff!