How to Support Women in the Workplace this Women’s Equality Day
By Jody Bell
Women have come incredibly far from where we once stood on August 26th, 1920; the day in which the Nineteenth amendment was adopted and women were granted the right to vote.
As we reflect on this historical day and the progress that has been made, it is easy to remain overly optimistic. Yes, women can now vote, however, with only 8.2% of Fortune 500 companies led by women, along with massive pay/wealth gaps, it is painstakingly obvious that there is further progress to be made. For under-represented minorities these statistics are even worse ‒ currently there are only 2 Black female CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
As a leader or manager in an organization, finding actionable ways to enact change on Women’s Equality Day is a great way to support the women you already employ. Not to mention, with some of the best up-and-coming talent being the most socially aware, actively working towards equality within your organization is going to be crucial to competitive recruiting.
Below are 3 ways you can support the women in your organization and thoughtfully reflect on Women’s Equality Day.
1. Create Safe Spaces for Women to Voice Their Concerns
One of the most crucial ways to support women’s fight for equality is to recognize the existence of discrimination and not shy from the difficult conversations surrounding it.
Far too often are gender-based issues considered a “hush-hush” topic that is brought directly to management without colleagues being aware of the issue. As a result, it can be difficult for women to feel comfortable voicing their concerns within their workplace and thus, a stigma is born.
By purposefully creating a narrative from management that is open to hearing these concerns, women feel exponentially more comfortable. We actually recommend taking this a step further and giving female employees the opportunity to create a Women’s Resource Group or Women’s Network within a company. These are spaces designated to uplift and support female employees whilst understanding the unique obstacles they may face. Women are able to safely and collaboratively discuss challenges they face within the company/industry and share ways in which they are able to resolve issues.
Of course even after adding support systems many women may want to voice their concerns anonymously. For this reason, we also would suggest adding anonymous employee surveys, tip boxes, or other firm-specific ways to retain anonymity while allowing employees to voice concerns.
2. Foster a Mentoring Program Targeted For Future-Female Leaders
Ensuring that entry level female employees are partnered with women in leadership positions is crucial for two major reasons: support and representation.
Coming into a larger firm as a young female professional can be daunting ‒ even Women’s Networks/Resource Groups may seem intimidating. As a result, we recommend setting up a mentoring program that fosters relationships on an individual level between women in leadership, and those entering the company. This serves as an initial launching point for these new employees and allows them to have a guide as they explore their new firm and the culture that comes along with it.
Additionally, this ensures that female employees feel assured that they are not simply another number in a diversity quota. Instead, this shows that your organization is invested enough that they provide individualized support from leadership with the intention of upward mobility and promotion. Even seeing another woman in a position of influence is important for employee success ‒ representation is crucial to motivating individuals to aspire towards executive positions.
3. Set up Strategic Partnerships
Did you know that there’s a 30% drop in confidence for teen girls between the ages of 8-14?
Many young women never recover from this drop in confidence, and thus the confidence gap is born ‒ inhibiting many women from reaching their career goals simply due to self-doubt. This is why it is crucial to support the hundreds of organizations around the country that fight this drop in confidence by empowering young girls with actionable skills.
Here at Girls With Impact, an online mini-MBA program for teen girls, we allow employers to get involved to help us create a pipeline of next generation talent and are always looking for more industry leaders to join us as mentors and coaches. Similar organizations include Girls Who Code, which teaches coding skills, or Girl Up, which is focused around social/civic progress.
By supporting these organizations you are not only taking a step to help women’s rights, but, you are also supporting the female leaders of tomorrow.
As a young woman in Finance who has already started multiple businesses, I know my worth, but I also know what discrimination looks like. At 20 years old I’ve been shut out of conversations with colleagues, laughed at by recruiters, and have had to pave my own path without representation. Even in 2021 this is the life that many young women in business lead.
We are a generation that is hyper-aware and hyper-communicative. We won’t settle for the “status-quo” at organizations if that is indicative of a culture chocked full of inequality. Truth be told, as managers it is your responsibility to ensure that this is not normal ‒ not now and most definitely not in the future. These few steps are just the beginning of truly working towards an inclusive and truly diverse work environment ‒ hopefully they will spark a larger conversation and lead to enacted change at your organization.
Jody Bell, 20 is Girls With Impact’s Chief Editor and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 12-21, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.