A World of Trust … In Women

A full century… That's how long it will take to achieve gender equality. And more likely than not, not a single person reading this article will be here to celebrate the occasion.

https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf

Many of us undoubtedly feel that the status of women and the recognition of our rights and abilities have come leaps and bounds since our mothers’ generations.

Yet despite all the talk, promises and legal advances, things still aren't moving fast enough.

The history of our civilization sheds light on just how far back into the past gender inequality extends. Much of this history has seen women relegated to the shadows, prevented from taking the driving seat.

This sorry state of affairs is, however, something we can take into our own hands. Now more than ever, we have the power to combat these inequalities faster and more effectively. We are in an unprecedented position to empower and trust women, and to make companies the driving force of this change.

Deeply entrenched patterns

Human Resources departments offer up valuable insights into the state of women in different corporate settings. My work over the past years in HR has been particularly enlightening for me in this respect.

Of course, all women find themselves banging their head against the glass ceiling at some point during their careers. And, together, we should be able to smash through these barriers. Another facet of the reality that needs to be addressed is the fact that many women are held back by self-imposed barriers. I am not saying that we are the problem,

but I am saying that we are different and that we need to recognise it.

"Why nice girls still don’t get the corner office" 

More than fifteen years ago, this best-seller walked us through a handful of common mistakes that many women tend to make unconsciously. Women tend to feel un-derserving of the job they are offered. They don't feel qualified or confident enough to speak up and make their voices heard. They feel they lack a sense of legitimacy.

And yet, it is interesting to note that several studies show that women develop better managerial qualities than men (Zenger Folkman 2019), and that they are also better at assessing their skill-sets than men, who (according to the “Aligning or Inflating Your Leadership Self-Image? A Longitudinal Study of Responses to Peer Feedback in MBA Teams", Academy of Management Learning and Education 11, no 4 (2012), p. 631-652 study) tend to display a misplaced sense of confidence in theirs.

The status of women is strongly impacted by prejudices, preconceptions and unconscious bias, all of which have their roots in how girls – and probably boys as well – are educated and raised. They lead women to lack confidence, doubt themselves and underestimate their own potential and talents. This is a phenomenon that several of my female colleagues’ call “imposter syndrome.”

Perhaps the greatest act of feminism today would be to simply start by believing in ourselves.

This is where a virtuous cycle might emerge: women believing in their potential, being given access to higher positions within companies and administrative bodies, and thereby becoming role models for other women, serving as shining examples, and leading the way for other women to have faith in themselves.

“Please ask yourself: What would I do if I weren’t afraid?” – Sheryl Sandberg

I firmly believe that alongside this personal and collective effort to "reboot women's self-confidence," alongside increased access to education across the board, companies have a crucial role to play in speeding up the process of dismantling gender inequality, in terms of both numbers and mindsets.

Companies as catalysts of gender equality

Through talent-spotting, manager support, mentoring schemes and platforming talented women more frequently, companies can and should help nurture a generation of more defiant women better equipped to climb the corporate ladder.

Today, women are all too often assessed based on their achievements, where men are evaluated on the basis of their potential. Enlightened, forward-thinking companies need to remain aware of this bias and of behaviors that may differ by gender, in order to implement inclusion and diversity policies and decisions that are effective in the long term.

Now more than ever before, our companies have an absolutely crucial social role to play. Just as wider society expects companies to commit to environmental protection and reduce their environmental footprint, it also expects companies to do their part to reduce gender-related inequalities.

At Bureau Veritas, we're working to change a relatively conservative context; we seek to improve the gender balance from the bottom all the way up to the top of the company. We aim to have women occupy 30% of our senior management roles over the next few years.

We are making strides: the Executive Committee has rocketed from 0 to 30% of females in just three years;

and our senior management has moved from 12 to 20% in the past 4 years. We are on the move! In addition, our teams have embraced the focus on Diversity & Inclusion and are bringing to life our core value “open & inclusive” by launching targeted local initiatives to create an environment that is inclusive for all around the world.

We have reached a turning point in history, a milestone moment at which gender equality can no longer be dismissed or pushed to the side, but for which there isn't a miracle one-size-fits-all solution. The road ahead is a long one. Some of the steps we take cover more ground than others. But each and every one of them is crucial. We have to accelerate so it doesn’t take a century to get to where we want to be.

Today's companies must do their parts. I've noticed a growing number of men, taking up the cause. On a personal level, I have to say that this makes me feel incredibly hopeful for the next generation of females.