4 ways to close the gender gap in the private sector

It’s estimated that the global gender gap will close in the year 2095. That’s 80 years from now. If we want our businesses and our societies to thrive, we need to achieve gender parity, and we need to do it quickly.

But how can we get there?

Here are four ways to help close the gender gap in the workplace:

1. Drive awareness

Awareness of gender-bias in the workplace is the first step in achieving gender parity. Many companies, such as Microsoft, now require all employees to participate in annual training to learn about unconscious bias. At Johnson Controls, gender targets at the top level are linked to executive compensation. These companies champion diversity as an integral part of their culture.

2. Create a better work environment

Women face a number of stressors in the workplace, like speaking up and not being heard, or constantly having to prove that they can do the job as well as their male counterparts. These stressors discourage women from playing the corporate game. Being aware of who has the most influence and share of conversation can help identify those struggling to be heard. Organizations need to level the playing field by raising sensitivity to unconscious bias and behavioural barriers that make it difficult for women to fully engage at senior levels.

3. Sponsorship

As fellow gender parity advisor Laura Liswood has said: “Women tend to be over-mentored and under-sponsored.” This leads to a lack of advancement at the highest levels. By creating robust sponsorship programmes, we can help companies unlock the value of diversity.

4. Leadership

Just last week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed 15 men and 15 women to his new cabinet. When asked why, his answer was “because it’s 2015”. Having this type of leadership in government and the private sector is critical to achieving gender parity. By setting expectations at the top and actively recruiting women for executive-type positions, we’ll see the benefits trickle down.

The stakes are high for our future generations, and we are missing key opportunities to influence the world around us. With the daily stressors women face in the workplace, we have to focus our efforts on incremental progress.

The first step is driving awareness, so read this year’s Global Gender Gap Report and start the conversation.

Author: Kim Metcalf-Kupres is Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer at Johnson Controls. She serves on the advisory board for the Global Challenge on Gender Parity.

Image: A Businesswoman is silhouetted as she makes her way under the Arche de la Defense, in the financial district west of Paris. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann