The Challenge of Implementing Equality

For a few years now, gender equality in companies has been a topic of utmost priority. However, looking at numbers paints a rather dismal picture of the current situation: only 4,6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. It seems like the implementation of gender equality is a huge challenge, even though it presents high benefits: research by Catalyst found that companies with more female board members experience better financial performance.

These findings can be applied not only to the boards of companies, but also to companies in general. It does not mean that women are better board members than men, it rather supports the idea of diversity: women offer a different perspective on problems and by working together, women and men can reach better and more profitable solutions.

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Support through the UN

In order to promote more diversity and gender equality in the workplace, UN Women and the UN Global Compact developed the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP). Their slogan is “Equality means Business”. Bank-Ki Moon wrote about women in business: “Educating girls is a first step. Employers everywhere also need to take a long and hard look at how far gender equality has been achieved in every workplace, to ensure that women are not only recruited but given the opportunities that they deserve to advance their careers.“

The WEP offer seven ideas on how to improve a company so that it can benefit from gender diversity. They support their ideas with examples and tools on how to measure a successful implementation. You can read about the seven principles in the following article.

Implementing equality individually

It is highly important to find out, how companies can improve their current situation and what needs to change in today’s work environment. However, what is most important is a general shift in the behavior of employers and employees:

1. Companies need to promote a supportive environment for women in business: special programs, trainings and mentors for (young) women, superiors who openly communicate with women on how they can be successful in their work environment, the possibility of home offices or a company kindergarten.

2. Individuals need to change their opinion about working women: women who strive for success do not lose their femininity and their capability is equal to men's; it is not a sign of being a bad mother when you return to your desk soon after giving birth etc.

But above all, remember the following: there is no reason to believe you cannot reach a goal because you are a woman!

Carolin