Now more than ever, gender equality in the workplace is top of mind for many: whether you’re an executive or manager looking to better support the women in your workplace, or are someone who wants to empower and uplift your fellow female colleagues.
We’ve put together a list of ten tips, including thought-starters, reflection questions and suggestions for creating a workplace that empowers women and furthers gender equality.
1. Be aware of gender bias and reflect on what it means for you
Bias comes in many forms and is present in many issues of our lives, both in and out of the workplace. Gender bias is just one example of this, and it’s important to understand what it looks like in the context of our workplaces and organizations. Some examples of how gender bias can show up in the workplace include, but are not limited to:
- Unequal pay between men and women.
- Assumptions about women based on their marital status or status as a mother.
- Expectations on women to do “office housework” outside of their job description such as party planning, note taking or cleaning up after a gathering.
- Different standards for men and women in terms of what is acceptable behaviour. For example, women being negatively labelled as bossy or unlikable in a situation where men might be labelled as confident and bold. Or, women being labelled as emotional for being angry, where in the same situation men might be seen as strong and assertive.
- Judgments made based on women’s appearances (e.g. clothing, physical qualities) associated with their job performance.
- Language that centres men–for example, “manpower”, “hey guys”, etc, rather than gender neutral language. A shift to gender neutral language in the workplace is also important to ensure all employees feel respected and included regardless of their gender.
As you read the list above, think about what it means for you and your workplace. How might it impact decisions you make at work? What effect does it have on things like everyday conversations with colleagues, performance management and reviews, or hiring decisions? Reflecting on your own biases is a great first step to reducing gender discrimination in your workplace.
“Every day, you have the power to choose our better history—by opening your hearts and minds, by speaking up for what you know is right.”
-Michelle Obama
2. Ensure women in your organization have a safe work environment
Review your organization’s policies around gender discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct to ensure you are proactively protecting employees, especially women, in your workplace. If there are gaps in the policy, work with your HR team to correct them and implement new policies where needed. Ensure all employees are aware of these policies, and encourage open dialogue with women in your organization so they feel safe and comfortable in bringing forward any issues.
3. Encourage women in meetings—and amplify their voices and ideas
In grade school, it’s more likely that boys will speak up and have their voices heard, and more likely that girls will be interrupted and have less chances to share in class. This has been found to continue into adulthood and the workplace, where men are more likely to speak more and make suggestions, and women are more likely to be interrupted.
“Don’t just stand for the success of other women—insist on it.”
– Gail Blanke, President and CEO, Lifedesigns
When setting up key meetings, make sure women have a seat at the table: both literally and figuratively. At meetings you facilitate, encourage the women on your team to sit in the front row or at the centre of the room. Ask for their contributions and consciously acknowledge ideas they bring to the conversation. Back up the women around you and validate their ideas and opinions. Encourage your female colleagues to speak up and have their voices heard. As well, be on the lookout for instances of women being interrupted and advocate for them to finish their thoughts or ideas.
“Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”
– Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, on being interrupted by Mike Pence during a Vice Presidential debate.
4. Have confidence in women who are parents
As we touched on above, gender bias among women who are mothers is a prevalent issue. While parental bias can also apply to men, it’s something commonly experienced by women. During the pandemic, with parents working from home and juggling family responsibilities with work, this issue has come even more to the forefront.
You can combat this by consciously supporting women in your workplace as they become parents. For example, review your organization’s policies and standards as they relate to families and parents, such as parental leave. Work with HR to update and improve policies where needed. Bring in family-friendly policies that favour flexibility and work-life balance, and invite open discussions with employees around parenthood and pregnancy.
Recognize that employees have lives and responsibilities outside of the office and their jobs—and at the same time, have the ability to do their jobs the same as other employees would, regardless of parental status. Try to catch yourself in traps of bias you may land in, such as assuming women who are parents won’t want to travel, advance in their position or take on certain assignments.
5. Provide opportunities for mentorship
Mentorship can be a powerful way to empower the next generation of female leaders. It will help women, especially ones just starting in their career, to grow their professional networks. Talking to mentors also helps women grow their comfort level in speaking about their career goals and in advocating for opportunities for themselves.
If you are a woman who is higher up in your career, consider mentoring young women in their careers—whether at your workplace or in your network. Many university alumni associations have mentorship programs for young professionals you can volunteer for. You can also set up mentorship opportunities in your workplace and actively look for opportunities for the women on your team to be mentored by others.
Along with mentorship, look to how you can help other women grow their professional network by facilitating connections.
6. Be part of closing the wage gap
Advocate for equal pay for equal work. According to Statistics Canada, women in Canada make 89 cents on average for every dollar earned by a man. Help close the pay gap in your organization. Conduct regular audits to ensure employees in equal positions with similar experience are earning equitable salaries. Work with your HR team to create standards around pay structure for raises and salaries.
7. Role model as a female leader
Be open in your commitment to furthering gender equality in your workplace. Invite discussion with your team around women’s issues. Open yourself to feedback and conversations, as well as to change and learning.
If you’re in an executive or leadership position, use your position and platform to actively further the cause of women’s empowerment in your workplace. As well, find ways you can support other women and amplify their voices.
“Make sure you’re working for someone confident who is willing to take risks on you, gives you stretch opportunities, and is there to back you if things get tough. And do the same for people on your team.”
– Ruth Porat, SVP and CFO of Google/Alphabet
8. Encourage women to seek opportunities
It’s been found that women are more likely to miss out on opportunities, roles and promotions because they feel they’re under-qualified. On the other hand, men are more likely to pursue opportunities they’re underqualified for on paper. Work to boost the confidence of women on your team by encouraging them to go after opportunities and take chances.
“Women need to shift from thinking “I’m not ready to do that” to thinking “I want to do that— and I’ll learn by doing it.”
– Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Meta Platforms and the founder of LeanIn.Org
Celebrate the unique perspective and skills that each woman on your team brings to their job. Embrace each team member’s unique leadership skills, and look for ways to bring out their full potential with new roles and projects. As well, applaud and encourage women to be assertive in negotiating and in advocating for themselves.
9. Make empowering women a priority by appointing a dedicated committee
Create a committee dedicated to furthering gender equality in your workplace, with representation across different teams. By meeting regularly, this group will be able to identify areas for improvement in your organization, advocate for change and work toward short and long term goals.
“I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.”
– Virginia Rometty, former CEO of IBM
10. Recognize the challenges and commit to the work
Women’s equality in the workplace is not an issue that can be solved overnight. It’s a journey, and it requires commitment-–on the part of yourself and your entire organization.
Reflect on the list of ideas we’ve outlined above. What areas is your organization doing well in? Where is there room for improvement? Where can you push further? Sit down with your team and discuss each area together. Maybe it will spark more ideas for your organization and ways you can take action. Take time regularly to reflect, individually and as a team: and don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments along the way.
“If you are committed to creating value and if you aren’t afraid of hard times, obstacles become utterly unimportant. A nuisance perhaps, but with no real power. The world respects creation; people will get out of your way.”
– Candice Carpenter Olson, Co-founder and Co-CEO of the Fullbridge Program
