A BlackRock research published in November last year came up with some inspiring facts and numbers.
“Investing in women to increase their participation in the labor force leads to economic gains. More precisely, companies with diverse workforces and more women in management roles outperform rivals in terms of their return on assets by as much as 29% a year.”
There! We have all the data and the corroboration. We have been vocal about gender equality and inclusion in the workplace for the longest time. Yet, these goals remain far-fetched.
On this International Women’s Day, which carries the campaign theme of “Inspire Inclusion”, let’s take a closer look at why we need to work harder towards women inclusion goals.
Checkr, the global background check company, surveyed working women from four generations to uncover their feelings about gender equality in the workplace and whether they believe a gender pay gap still exists in 2024. Key findings also reveal women’s feelings about their representation in management roles, generational opinions on gender bias related to career advancement, and much more.
Some of these numbers are unsettling yet unsurprising:
- 67% of women believe they’re paid less than their male colleagues for equal work.
- Only 16% of women strongly believe they’re paid fairly and that gender bias does not impact their compensation.
- Only 11% of women strongly believe that their male colleagues respect women as much as they respect other men in the workplace.
- 75% of women agree or are unsure of the perception that women with children are seen as less dedicated and competent compared to male colleagues because of their responsibilities at home.
- Only 38% of Gen Z women strongly believe that women are well-represented in management roles, and Millennials (51%), Gen Xers (47%), and Baby Boomers (41%) feel the same way.
- Only 54% of Gen Z women believe that women have as much of a chance as men to earn a management position at work—the least confident of all generations.
- 69% of all women agree or are unsure about management choosing a male colleague for a promotion over a woman solely because of gender.
- 82% of all women agree or are unsure that reporting gender bias or discrimination issues at work would lead to negative ramifications on job security or career advancement.
- 80% of all women agree or are unsure about men having less respect for women managers than they do for men in management positions.
- Gen Z women (58%) are least confident in managers showcasing women in the workplace to ensure the same visibility as men, while Millennials (68%), Gen Xers (66%), and Baby Boomers (59%) are more confident in management.
On this Women’s Day, let’s take a moment to reflect upon the great distances that we need to traverse as a society before we achieve true gender equality at our workplaces!
