The pandemic set back gender parity by more than 36 years

This is Working Together, a weekly series on equity in the workplace. Have ideas about what we should discuss next week? Let me know in the comments using #WorkingTogether or email me at [email protected]. 

The slowly closing gender parity gap around the world was ripped further apart in 2020, on the heels of a pandemic that had an outsize impact on women. 

The time it will take to close the global gender gap increased from 99.5 years to 135.6 years, according to the global gender report produced by The World Economic Forum. Women around the world lost their jobs at a higher rate than men, 5% vs 3.9% among men. And sectors where job opportunities are growing are significantly underrepresented by women. In cloud computing, for example, women make up just 14% of the workforce. In engineering, another growing field, they comprise 20% of workers. 

Making matters more complicated, data from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team suggests that it is more challenging for women to switch into these emerging fields. While many blame a pipeline problem — the notion that not enough women desire to go into these emerging jobs — the report demonstrates something else. Many of the professions outlined have untapped talent pools filled with female workers, but employers aren’t looking beyond traditional backgrounds to fill open roles. 

“We need to recognize the specific challenges around gender disparity in fast-growing, future-facing roles,” said Sue Duke, LinkedIn’s head of Global Public Policy and Economic Graph Team. “Core to this is breaking down the barriers to these professions, and that includes making these areas of work more attractive for women.

The WEF measures parity across women’s potential to access economic, health, education and political opportunities for women versus men. In the U.S. the gender gap in education and health is almost closed and there has been significant improvement in the presence of women in positions of power across government. Despite these gains, women in the U.S. have a long way to go to reach the economic opportunities of their male peers. Just over 42% of managerial positions in America are held by women and further analysis by LinkedIn shows that women have been appointed to fewer positions of leadership during this pandemic. 

While this crisis has impacted all workers, survey data indicates that women with children still living at home have been hit hardest. The WEF asked working men and women how difficult it is to get work done this past year and how much stress they felt balancing the demands of work with home. Across all measures, women with kids at home reported the highest rates of stress and loss of productivity. 

To support a more gender-equal recovery from this crisis, a few things must happen. The WEF argues countries need to expand the availability of childcare and to rethink how we treat care work entirely. Prior to the pandemic, women and children already made up 70% of our nation’s poor, all while women are becoming the most educated group in the labor force in America. Lawmakers and private employers alike are realizing this has largely to do with the choices women must make between earning an income and taking care of their families. World Bank data shows that, globally, new mothers take on an average of three months of family leave from work — paid or unpaid — whereas fathers take just three days. 

Secondly, tech-intensive roles that are growing in the economy need to be filled by more female talent. While the fastest growing job sectors tend to experience a high influx of new talent, data shows that a majority of that talent is male. Companies hiring workers in these fields should vie for gender parity, and they should offer mid-career reskilling opportunities for those currently in the workforce. 

Now I want to hear from you: At this stage in the pandemic, what can employers do to support you in your career? Is it paying more attention to the unpaid work you are doing at home, opportunities to learn new skills or something else? Let me know in the comments below using #WorkingTogether 

What’s Working

‘Celebrate despite obstacles’ It’s the last day of Women’s History Month and this year’s celebration comes against the backdrop of a crisis for women at work. The New York Times spoke to several leaders across industries who shared how they are getting through this stage of the pandemic. Angela Cese?a, executive director of Latina SafeHouse said she is “cautiously optimistic” and “really tired.” [NYTimes]

Expanding to all. Volvo will now offer paid parental leave to all of its 40,000 employees for at least 24 weeks at 80% pay, regardless of where they work. The Swedish automaker’s program is being lauded as the most comprehensive plan so far to come out of the auto industry. [LinkedIn News] 

Bereavement leave in NZ. New Zealand's officals voted unanimously last week to allow mothers and their partners three days of paid bereavement leave after a miscarriage or stillbirth. The news comes amid a huge push in the United States for a national paid family leave policy. [CBS News]

Tying goals to pay. Mastercard is the latest company to link executive pay in the form of annual bonuses to the company’s environmental and diversity goals. Nike, Chipotle and Starbucks have made similar announcements in recent weeks. [Reuters]

What’s Not

Uncertain mothers. Today, President Biden is expected to announce a major infrastructure proposal that should include additional child care aid. But will the relief come soon enough? Nearly one million women have left the workforce as of late last year and three-quarters of parents say they are stressed out due to uncertainty about schooling. [NYT]

Who’s Pushing Us Forward

Transparency & empathy. Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar has been in the unique position during this pandemic of connecting people to their communities. I spoke with her yesterday about how she has changed as a leader and her hopes for how the evolving definition of a successful business exec will lead to more diversity in the C-Suite. 

What topics do you want to discuss next time? Let me know in the comments below using #WorkingTogether