Humility, Workplace Policies & Encouraging Women’s Ideas: 5 Steps To Gender Parity

The International Labour Organisation estimates that two-thirds of the jobs lost globally due to Covid-19 belonged to women.

According to ET Evoke report, various surveys find that achieving gender parity at work can add $28 trillion or 26% to global GDP by 2025. India alone could add $770 billion or 18% to its GDP by 2025 if it enabled half of its productive workforce — women.

Here's how companies can achieve gender parity.

Research: Harvard Business Review, The Washington Post, Forbes

Gender bias can creep into the workplace from the word go. Job advertisements can include gendered language which limits candidates. Words like ‘caring’ or ‘compassionate’ are often stereotypically considered ‘female’ while words like ‘dynamic’ or ‘driven’ are considered ‘male’. The words that companies use impact the candidates they get.

Data illuminates and mitigates bias. Data measuring hires, promotions, trainings and perks helps companies take better steps. A ‘Norm Nudge’ works — data on a company’s best performing department in gender parity inspires other managers.

Women hesitate to ask for promotions, raises, flexible work time, even holidays due to them. Companies can solve this by making these default processes — parental leave, for instance, should be an automatic process for all applicable employees.

Ingrained cultures with ‘micro-aggressions’ against women can inhibit them from speaking up at meetings. This can be countered by ‘micro-sponsors’, professionals acknowledging women’s ideas, encouraging them to speak uninterrupted and giving them due credit.

Research finds true gender equality is rooted in cultural humility or being open to continued learning, having a non-monopolistic attitude on expertise and conducting self-reflection. Companies encouraging these traits benefit from heightened gender parity.