Five Ways to Support Women in the Workplace

Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate women’s achievements and bring awareness to the ongoing struggle for gender equality in the workplace. Despite numerous advances in recent years, women still face numerous barriers and obstacles in the workplace, including pay disparity, lack of representation in leadership positions, and unequal opportunities for professional growth. As a society, we must work together to support women in the workplace and help them reach their full potential. Below we will highlight ways in which individuals and organizations can support women in their careers and create more inclusive and diverse work environments.

Pay women fairly and promote equal pay.

It has been 60 years since the Equal Pay Act, and the gender pay gap is still an issue. On average, women earn 83 cents for every dollar paid to men*. This number is even lower for women of color (black women make $0.63, native women earn $0.60, and Latinas $0.57). Neither race nor gender should be a factor in what someone earns.

Pay men and women equally for equal work.

Source: equalpaytoday.org

Allow women to speak up, participate, and advance.

Supporting women in the workplace goes beyond promoting equal pay. Fostering environments where women feel safe and supported to grow, pitch ideas, and speak up requires management to shut down poor behavior intentionally (interrupting, undermining, and hepeating—rephrasing a comment made by a female colleague), allow women to guide them on what actually means to support and help them, and give them opportunities to step up and take on executive roles.

Treat all women with respect and professionalism.

This should go without saying but creating a workplace for women to thrive means being treated with respect and professionalism.

Do not tolerate sexism—help prevent, highlight, and report unacceptable situations and behaviors—and never consider assumptions about their “life plans” or personal life to make professional decisions affecting them.

Offer equal flexibility and paternity care.

A job that understands that people’s personal lives often interfere with their work schedule and that life is unpredictable sometimes allows ALL employees to have peace of mind when conflict arises. A company that recognizes inequality and offers ways to minimize the burden—such as equal paternity care—placed on working women when having children will help ALL women equally advance in their careers regardless of this life choice.

Check your biases and train your team in DE&I.

Empowering women in the workplace requires active participation from everyone in the company. Create opportunities for people to be trained in awareness of privilege/sexism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lead by example and openly discuss unfair situations and disrespectful attitudes.

Supporting women in the workplace is crucial for achieving gender equality and creating a more diverse and inclusive work environment. From advocating for equal pay and promoting women in leadership positions to providing mentorship opportunities and flexible work arrangements, there are many ways that individuals and organizations can make a difference. Women’s History Month is a timely reminder of the importance of supporting women in their careers and their significant contributions to our society. Let’s continue to work together to create a more equitable and supportive workplace for all women.