Progress isn't parity: why we need to take action now

Slow progress is being made towards gender equality. The gender pay gap has reduced by 0.5% in a year. It’s a step, albeit a tiny one, in the right direction, but it’s not enough.

If we want to achieve gender parity then we, as employers, need to look at the workplaces we’ve created and start to take positive action to create microclimates of equality.

As we near International Women’s Day 2025, their campaign of ‘Accelerate Action’ has never felt more urgent.

To create lasting change we all need to play our part, and for other employers that starts with how you treat your female employees.?

The current state of affairs

It’s easy to look at the media and see a handful of women in influential positions to say that progress is being made. Keep watching though and you’ll soon see story after story on the restriction of women’s rights across the globe. Closer to home, the picture isn’t much different.

At the current rate of progress it’ll take until 2158 to reach full gender parity. Are we willing to wait that long to see change?

At Ambition we want to contribute towards a society where men and women are treated equally, where gender doesn’t come into the equation. That means change needs to happen now.

This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2025, we’re highlighting the need to Accelerate Action.

We all need to do our part to take decisive steps to champion gender equality and bring it to fruition. This isn’t about lip service or jumping on a bandwagon, it’s about looking at what you and your business can do to make change happen right now.

Women in the workplace

We don’t want to be pessimistic about women in the workplace, there has been some progress. 29% C-Suite positions are held by women, compared to only 17% in 2015. It’s important to not confuse progress with parity. There has been a shift, but that still leaves 71% of C-Suite positions held by men.

This imbalance begins at the start of a woman’s career, for every 100 men that receive their first promotion only 79 women are promoted. That “broken” rung creates a disparity right from the beginning which only widens throughout a person’s career.

Pregnancy, caring responsibilities, menopause - these all contribute to this divide and it’s only when we create workplaces which accommodate and understand these natural stages of a woman’s life will be see true gender equality.

We’re still seeing the impact of the pandemic on women’s careers. Since Covid-19 women have been twice as likely to lose their jobs compared to their male counterparts. Combine that with the shift back to office-based jobs and women are feeling the pinch.

What needs to change

As employers it’s vital to support the different stages in women’s lives if you’re serious about retention.

Traditional workplaces were designed for a very different society and aren’t reflective or supportive of modern life. For any employer serious about championing gender equality then start with supporting International Women’s Day.

Showing support for this cause isn’t a once-a-year Facebook or LinkedIn post. It’s a year-round commitment to change and walk the walk.

As employers it's vital to put policies in place that support all your employees, and with women making up half of society it’s time we acknowledged the realities of being a working woman. Putting supportive policies and practices in place will not only benefit your female employees but it’ll also help your retention.

People remember how others made them feel. If your female employees don’t feel listened to, supported and empowered and instead are made to feel ashamed of medical appointments, conditions and responsibilities, that leaves a lasting impact.

There’s a saying that we expect women to work like they don't have children and raise children as if they don't work. It’s time we change that and see the impact that has on our society, our recruitment, our retention and progress.

How do we accelerate action?

The road to gender equality can feel pretty steep, and it can be hard to know where to start. Yes, there are big societal issues which need to be challenged, but let’s start with changes that are within your control as an employer.

Offering flexibility

Flexibility is the fastest growing priority for job seekers. For any business that’s serious about their recruitment and their gender parity, the first place to start is flexibility. Now flexibility doesn’t always mean working from home and it doesn’t always mean part time. It’s about being able to work in a way that suits and supports your life.

There are more reasons than simply child rearing which demand flexibility. Menopause, caring for ageing parents, work/life balance, health issues can limit someone’s ability to work a traditional 9-5, but as soon as flexible working is on the table it can be life changing.

Make sure these policies are published somewhere that’s easily accessible and transparent so that people don’t have to ask for them, instead they’re always to hand.

Allyship

This isn’t a challenge we can solve on our own, it’s going to take a societal shift for us to achieve gender parity at all, let alone before 2158. That means women need allies in the workplace. These could be female role models in leadership roles who are keeping doors open for those that follow them.

Mentoring is a powerful tool to facilitate this, giving women access to someone who’s been there, done that and can help them navigate their way through their career.

We also need male allies.

Men need to understand their role in championing women and supporting them. Encouraging them to credit women for their own ideas, sense checking their own preconceptions and biases around working mothers, undoing their beliefs around part time means part committed.

This type of behaviour starts at the top and over time will trickle down through a firm. That’s why it’s vitally important men are onboard and championing gender parity in your workplace.

Career development and opportunities

Without clear career pathways it can be easy for women to get stuck at a certain level. As a firm you should review career progression and development to ensure equal access to both opportunities and training.

This also includes cultivating a culture of internal promotion rather than hiring externally, particularly for leadership positions. Putting this in place allows women to take the next step in a known environment boosting their confidence and chance of success, while allowing the firm to benefit from their knowledge, skills and loyalty.

Part of building out career development is ensuring that men and women are being paid equally for equal work.

The gender pay gap is a reality in the UK and the only way it will be rectified is through firm’s taking deliberate steps to pay someone what they’re worth, not based on what they’re asking for or their gender.

Psychological safety

The end goal is creating a workplace which provides psychological safety for all employees. Women are protected from gender bias, discrimination, sexual harassment and aggression and they can bring their true selves to the workplace.

We want to create a workplace that understands we’re all human and some days we’re on fire, other days…not so much. That doesn’t mean our employees aren’t doing their job, it just means they’re human and we all need some support sometimes.

There’s no denying that there’s a long way to go until we achieve gender equality. 2158 is five generations away. Do we want our daughters, granddaughters, great granddaughters and so on to live in a society that penalises them for their gender? Of course not.

As employers we need to make a stand. We need to make a change. Use this International Women’s Day to look at how supportive you are as an employer and spark the change that needs to happen.