It’s International Women’s Day! (Yes, there is an International Men’s Day too but not until November!) In celebration of this day we’re sharing our top tips for supporting women in the workforce.
Amplify their voices
Every woman knows the feeling of having something they say ignored, only to hear a man say the same thing later and be hailed for it as an heroic genius. If this happens in a meeting or other professional conversation, you can help by saying something along the lines of ‘I think that was X’s idea / Isn’t that similar to what you just said” and inviting the woman whose original idea it was to take back control of the conversation. It’s also possible to intervene before things even get to this point, by noting if a woman’s comment has been ignored, and drawing attention to it “I think X said something really important / interesting then that we didn’t all hear, can you take us through that idea again?”
Don’t make assumptions
We don’t need to tell you that it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex – it’s in the Equalities Act 2010 that all employers will be familiar with. However, it is very common to unintentionally discriminate against people by making assumptions or buying into stereotypes, for example assuming that a woman won’t want to take on more responsibility because she has asked for flexible working hours, or assuming that female employees are better suited to taking on female clients. A government minister even once famously said that women found it hard to get on in the workplace because they would rather get home and see their children on a Friday night than go to the pub; to which all the mums in the country went ‘Nah, I’ll take the pub thanks!” Make sure any decision about a female employee’s working conditions is based on real facts, not on the assumptions you have made about her.
Have a zero tolerance harassment policy
It isn’t ‘PC gone mad’ to suggest that no-one should have to face harassment in the workplace. But often people don’t recognise their actions as harassment, which is where a problem then arises. Employers should be clear that inappropriate comments, unwanted touching, uninvited ‘romantic’ advances and so forth are not part of a ‘lighthearted banter’ culture, but unacceptable actions which have no place in the working environment. You wouldn’t allow your employees to be targeted on the basis of their disability or skin colour, so you shouldn’t allow this to happen on the basis of sex either.
Pay them properly
There is a gender pay gap, we’re all fully aware of that, and it isn’t just down to women ‘taking time out to have babies’ (long, slow eye-roll!) Employers should make sure that their pay policy is not discriminatory, and that women doing the same job as men are paid the same. It’s only fair and, depending on the size of your company, it may also be a legal requirement for you to publish this information, which could cause you some embarrassment!
Support career advancement
Women don’t just come to work to get away from the washing and ironing, and have just as many career ambitions as men. Breaking through the glass ceiling, however, isn’t just about being the best person for the job, it’s about the hirers actively seeking to include more women in senior positions rather than just defaulting to what they are used to (which is often hiring middle class white men who will ‘fit the team’ that are, you guessed it, all other middle class white men!), and about women seeing themselves in and being mentored for these positions. Employers can provide opportunities for female staff to observe board meetings, and shadow senior executives so that they can understand what each role entails and whether it would be a good fit for them. Anecdotal evidence suggests that men will naturally apply for senior roles without having any indication that they have the skill set to take these on, whereas women will only apply when they feel they are overqualified for the job, the result being a lot of underperforming men in senior roles, and overperforming women in junior ones!
International Women’s Day isn’t about men-hating feminists bashing male culture. Just like International Men’s Day it’s about celebrating the unique qualities that we can bring to the workplace, society, and the world at large. It’s a chance to reflect on how we can support each other and lift each other up to make the world a better place – which right now is something that we all need!