IWD2023: Making equity a fact, not just a slogan

I don’t remember how old I was when I realized that hidden in the expression “boys will be boys” was a statement about girls. Boys could be wild, unruly, adventurous. Girls would need to be all the other things, whatever boys weren’t.

Gender discrimination starts with little sayings and small assumptions, but the effects are far-reaching, affecting every part of women’s lives.

It’s not just money, and the fact that women everywhere are often paid less than men – averaging only 77 cents for every dollar. It’s also rights. The World Bank tells us that most economies give women only three-quarters of the rights men enjoy, such as the right to own land, take a loan, or open a business. It’s recognition. Women are less likely to be promoted to leadership roles, part of a gap the World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2022 estimates it will take another 132 years to close at the current rate of change. In some cases, it’s even food: at least 150?million more women than men suffered food insecurity last year. Sometimes when boys will be boys, women will go hungry as a result.

This is an important reminder that the decisions we make, however small, can have consequences that extend deep into the lives of our colleagues, our neighbors, our friends. As Chief People Officer of @Sanofi, it’s my job but also my desire to make respect and inclusivity the easy choice for every Sanofian.

I am so happy that International Women’s Day gives us a special opportunity to think about what we have achieved –?and reflect on how far we still have to go. Reducing gender bias in the workplace means overcoming ingrained and culturally promoted prejudices, inequalities, and reduced opportunities that start in the way young girls are educated and continue throughout their working lives.

Sanofi wants to lead the way in building a truly balanced, representative leadership and workforce.

So, we have set some truly ambitious goals, including a commitment to reach 50% women in senior leader positions and 40% women in executive positions by 2025. That’s just around the corner.

To help us get there, we have mandated gender balance among candidates in the final round of interviews for senior leader roles. And we’re creating career-development pathways so that 150 women in senior positions will be ready for an executive role when the opportunity arises.

In January 2022, we also put in place a new global standard for inclusive, equal parental leave. We offer all employees who are welcoming a child into their family 14 weeks of paid parental leave, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Implementing this policy is essential for driving equality in and beyond the workplace, because it allows parents to choose who will be the primary caregiver. It also supports wellbeing: studies show that a father’s increased involvement in infant care can mitigate maternal postpartum-depression outcomes, and secure a life-long bond with their children.

We are extremely proud of these initiatives, but we’re also aware that policies and good intentions aren’t enough. In 2022, only 43% of the 3,000 people who took advantage of paid parental leave were men. Translating policy into culture requires leaders at every level to commit personally to ensuring gender balance, complying with equal-pay policies, and encouraging gender-neutral approaches to hiring, promotion, and leave.

Because we’re “all in” on promoting change both in and beyond our workplace, we partner with @WEConnect International: a global network that connects women-owned businesses to qualified buyers.

We are all responsible for making sure that people of whatever gender can be themselves.

Change is hard, so we must each commit to questioning our biases, to doing the hard work of finding and removing the obstacles to progress. We must be tireless in advocating for a fair, inclusive, and equitable workplace.

Choices make change.

Whatever our role, wherever we sit in our organization, let’s each take the opportunity this International Women’s Day to ask ourselves: what choices have I taken to make equity a fact, not just a slogan?

#internationalwomensday #globalgendergap #empowerwomen #IWD2023 #EmbraceEquity #Sanofi #Allin