We Are All Responsible for Countering Damaging Gender Biases

A few years ago, I shared a story with the readers of Fortune magazine noting that “I had never – ever – thought I would be one of those parents who would slip when it comes to protecting our young daughter from gender biases and stereotypes that emerge early in a child’s development. Well I was wrong.”

This also happened at work even though I felt that I would be one of the last people to falter when it came to merit-based diversity issues. In addition to my “non-majority” cultural background and an interest in research on the damaging effects of inequality and blind spots, I had learned a lot serving on the board of the International Center for Research on Women. Moreover, as PIMCO’s CEO, I had eagerly embraced a leadership role in our inclusion and diversity initiatives.

Imagine my disappointment and surprise when I found out that, on at least those two occasions, I had fallen victim at home AND at work to the biases I was committed to overcoming. I am not telling you this because I enjoy recounting my inadequacies. Instead, it is an attempt to illustrate how hard I (and we) need to work to counter detrimental inequalities that are still so deeply (and foolishly) ingrained in our society.

There is nothing better than personal experiences to make you realize the importance of diversity, and the need to work hard and continuously to advance it. After all, we all – men included – benefit from promoting greater gender equality at home and at work; and there is a lot to do at a time when, despite ample research, both overt and unconscious biases continue to hold back individuals from attaining their potential, thereby undermining families, companies and governments.

This is not just about companies failing to excel because they are not tapping the full range of talents available to them. Research has shown that biases against girls and women contribute to domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, underage marriages, malnutrition, child mortality and deep and intractable poverty. While they bear the brunt of the damage, it is not confined to them. Families are also worse off, thereby amplifying the costs to societies, including those in developing countries that are least able to afford them

No company, family and, certainly, no country will attain its true potential if it fails to embrace and empower human talent regardless of gender, race, culture, sexual orientation and perspectives. To do so, they need to actively and continuously encourage awareness of why inequality undermines their wellbeing, what to do about it, and how to continuously learn and course correct as needed.

So, how did I let my daughter down; and where did I also inadvertently slip at work?

Having enjoyed her first exposure to a summer camp organized around an academic topic, my daughter decided to return for a second time. But rather than continue with the science orientation she had enjoyed so much the prior year, she opted for “ancient civilization” – a surprising choice given that she had previously shown only limited interest in this area.

When I asked her about her choice, she told me that it had been motivated by curiosity about history and wishing to know more about Egypt (which made me happy given my background). Yet the explanation seemed incomplete. When I inquired again a few days later, she added that, having been the only girl in the science classes the prior year, she had researched and opted for a subject that would have greater gender balance in the classroom.

Rather than engage my daughter in a timely fashion in a discussion on this issue and encourage her participation regardless, I had inadvertently stood by and allowed a stereotype to distort and cloud the lens through which she viewed science. To make things worse, this had occurred despite my prior efforts to encourage her to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) topics, influenced by research demonstrating the role that parents can have in impacting their daughter’s approach to such topics.

This served as a loud reminder of the constant need to stay vigilant given the still-pervasive influence of antiquated and inappropriate biases. I had a similar reminder at work when alerted of how we risked being insufficiently responsive our approach to meetings.

Working in a result-driven company full of talented and engaged colleagues, it never occurred to us that – unconsciously – we could be chairing meetings in a manner that failed to fully empower the cognitive diversity in the room. After all, our “constructive paranoia” had helped us succeed in a very competitive industry; and the key to such success was the level and diversity of our people’s training, experiences and expertise.

Well it turned out that we could (and should) do even better.

What appeared to us as a level playing field that facilitated full and productive engagement – that is, an open structure in which everyone was encouraged to speak out regardless of seniority – could actually be a barrier to entry in some cases. Specifically, a disproportionate number of women and Asian colleagues could struggle to be heard and, accordingly, opt to speak less even though they have lots of important insights to contribute.

In both instances – at home and at work – I realized it was important to talk openly and broadly about these issues, and to ensure that deliberative corrective steps were taken. Advancing gender equality – whether pursued by individuals, households, companies or governments – involves awareness, analysis, education, advocacy and sustained actions; and this needs to be supported by measurement, research and openness to uncomfortable realities. Otherwise the forces of inertia will prove too powerful to overcome.

By now, there should be little doubt, if any, about the case for inclusion and diversity. The analytical research – theoretical, empirical and behavioral – is well established and compelling; and the benefits are broad-based, durable and consequential.

Diversity sheds greater light on the issues at hand, particularly when they involve complex multi-faceted challenges. Through appropriately structured processes, different points of view may (and should) be brought together to underpin decision making outcomes that outperform those driven by narrower perspectives.

We all have a responsibility to counter gender and other types of biases, both hidden and overt. It is a responsibility that extends to men as much, if not more than women. By supporting gender equality at home and at work, we all contribute to stronger families, happier children and higher professional excellence.

Let’s #LeanInTogether for equality. For more information, please visit leanintogether.org.

Mohamed A. El-Erian is the former CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO. He is chief economic advisor to Allianz, chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council, and author of the NYT/WSJ bestseller “When Markets Collide.”

Follow him on Twitter, @elerianm.

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