Actions for Equity: Women in the Workplace
March is Women’s History Month. In 2025, we can look back at the last several decades and see that we’ve collectively made significant progress for the advancement of women in the workplace–and in the world. But, there’s still much to be done for us to achieve parity and benefit from how it will create seismic societal shifts in a positive direction.
In my recent blog, I discussed actions we can take broadly to create equity. Now, let’s focus on what we can do to support equity for women in particular.
First, let’s look at the numbers because they’re pretty staggering.
Rectifying these global, systemic issues might seem like an impossibility, but the actions we take in our own teams and organizations will create a ripple effect to create widespread, long-term change. So, don’t be discouraged by these numbers, but use them as a rallying call to champion women’s development and full participation at work.
Dismantling the Glass Ceiling and Broken Rung
The glass ceiling is a concept that’s been around since the 1970s, first coined by Marilyn Loden. The broken rung is a newer concept that originated from research performed by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org in 2019.
Both terms refer to the invisible but tangible barriers women face in the workplace. The glass ceiling focuses on the obstacle to women’s advancement to senior leadership positions, while the broken rung identifies the first step that impedes women’s growth in organizations, which is the promotion to manager.
As with many things, knowing where these issues begin is the first step to doing something about them. So, take a look at your own organization and analyze the distribution of women in leadership positions, at all levels of the ladder. Break these demographics down by race because we know that women of color are passed over for promotion at far greater frequency than their white counterparts.
When you have your data, commit to taking action. Create a plan to help women succeed in their career trajectories by putting formal processes in place to help them get there. These will span your hiring, development, and promotion practices. It’ll be a collaboration between your senior leadership team, human resources, and managers throughout your company. To make this effective, it will need to be measured, so make it part of your annual and quarterly review process.
Providing Equitable Parental Leave and Benefits
Women are often excluded from advancement if they choose to have families. Still often the primary caregivers in cis-het relationships, women often need to sacrifice their careers in favor of family while men do not face this difficult decision.
Companies are often not equipped to help women in this way, from not providing inclusive benefits like paid maternity leave to not giving adequate support to women who are transitioning back into the workforce from taking time to raise their children. And while many countries offer extensive parental leave, the United States lags behind. This makes it the responsibility of corporations to fill in the gap.
Take stock of your benefits package. Ask the women in your company if they feel it supports them in their career progression. If there are areas to improve, identify them and create a plan to address them. Track what happens. You might be surprised at how it helps your business, from a drop in turnover rate and an improvement in your overall bottom.
Developing a Skills-Based Approach to Advancement
The labor market is making huge shifts and will continue to change at a rapid pace. We know AI is a disruptor that will influence how we work going forward. In addition, both employers’ and employees’ expectations are evolving. Companies are experimenting more with skills-based hiring as a more equitable approach to identifying and attracting top talent. Candidates are looking for companies that support their advancement and align with their values, and women, in particular, are seeking inclusive workplaces that support them in their career trajectories.
One key way to do this is to lean into learning and development plans that prioritize upskilling and reskilling women. According to LinkedIn, the most in-demand skills prioritize fundamental competencies in communication, collaboration, and adaptability, while the jobs on the rise report reveals that 64% of professionals feel overwhelmed by the pace of change in the workforce.
Take this data as a starting point for developing development plans that focus on women’s advancement. Tailor it to suit the needs of your business. Ask for input from leaders and individual contributors to determine your learning plan. Track progress and make adjustments as needed.
Championing Women with Mentorship and Sponsorship
Mentorship and sponsorship deserve their own post because they are so critical to providing equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups. Women can benefit from these two forms of advocacy because they provide tangible support and increase visibility for women with key stakeholders within your organization and community at large.
Mentorship focuses more on providing advice, guidance, and a listening ear to mentees. It’s a relationship that can be more informal and can encompass both professional and personal growth. It’s also a relationship that tends to be mutually beneficial, with both parties gaining something from the experience.
Sponsorship is almost always singularly focused on helping the sponsee with career advancement. The sponsor leverages their reputation within the organization to help propel their protégé forward and actively identifies and advocates for the sponsee when new opportunities arise.
If your organization doesn’t provide these support mechanisms, begin building them now. It’s a key way to dismantle the broken rung and glass ceiling we discussed above. It helps build confidence and increase exposure for women starting out in their careers or in your company.
Taking action in these ways will have a tangible, positive impact on your entire organization, not just women. A key principle of DEIB is that the actions that we take to uplift one group ultimately uplift us all.
If you’re looking to improve your DEIB practices or just starting out, I’m here to help. Get in touch with me to see how I can support you on your DEIB journey.