Although strides have been made in tackling gender inequality in the workplace, we still have some way to go. A lack of female representation at board level and continuing disparity in pay are just some of the issues women face at work. How can organisations close the gender gap for good?
I think one of the biggest problems for female graduates going into business is the ‘imposter’ syndrome. There is often fewer women in the room and that makes it harder for them to share their views and feel safe to speak up. I think organisations also need to engage with girls at an earlier stage. Perhaps maybe at 16. When you start to make decisions about what you want to do. It would make the world of business feel more accessible. I also think more competitions or initiatives like this one can help girls (and everyone from all backgrounds) experience work in a really accessible way. It’s a much easier first step than going in for a formal interview.
I think it gets really tricky if you want to have children. The way to address this from a policy level is to promote more equal paternity leave. Creating a culture where men feel like they can take time off work as well. I also think women are often taught not to speak up. And that makes them less inclined to ask for promotions, to ask for opportunities. And that comes down to what and how we teach girls to behave from a really young age.
Yes. People have said to me, “Well, it’s all equal, anyone can go for a job – so don’t worry if there are hardly any women in an organisation.” I disagree, I think it’s really important to see women represented. I had a conversation with my sister this morning and she was telling me that there are more CEOs called John running FTSE 100 companies than there are female CEOs. That’s just ridiculous. You should be able to see CEOs that are representative of the community as a whole. Women in business should be represented at all levels.