International Women’s Day Interview: Top Workplace Initiatives To Promote Gender Equality

New figures from Forward Role show that in 2022, 55% of junior roles in Digital and Tech were filled by women. Additionally, 40% of senior and C-Suite roles were filled by female candidates, matching the target set by FTSE Women Leaders Review. 

Rachel has commented on the findings, and what they show about the industry:

  “For me, the data suggests that businesses are becoming more diverse and that women are actively seeking opportunities in an industry previously deemed to be male-dominated. 

“I personally believe the paradigm shift to hybrid working in the last few years has been great for women and their careers. Today, women are able to more easily pursue promotion opportunities as the infrastructure to balance home and work life is far stronger. Historically, those tensions between home and work have been more pronounced for women than they have for men. Hopefully, we’re seeing that begin to change.”

Rachel was also asked a series of questions on her own experiences of inequality within the workplace, and provided some guidance for women on how to overcome common obstacles.

Q1) What are some of the best workplace initiatives you know of that help promote gender equality?

A few businesses within my network (Expedia, Ipsos) encourage shared parental leave by offering the mother’s partner up to three months of full-pay parental leave. I think this is an awesome initiative to encourage gender equality in the workplace and allows the parent time to bond with their baby whilst supporting the mother to return to work. 

I’ve also recently become aware of the Workplace Nursery Benefit, which can help employees save on childcare costs (in addition to government support). It’s a brilliant initiative and one I actively encourage everyone to research and adopt. 

Q2) What is the most significant deterrent to women succeeding in the workplace?

I truly believe the biggest deterrent to women succeeding in the workplace is the common misconception that it’s ‘impossible’ to pursue a career and start a family. Finding a balance is hard but with the right support, anything is possible. We should aim to inspire the next generation to a point where we are no longer talking about senior women in the workplace but just senior people, regardless of gender.

Q3) What advice would you give to women who feel they’re being treated differently or not being given the same opportunities as men at work or in job interviews?

Women should definitely voice their concerns to management, HR or peers. If this isn’t possible for whatever reason, I would encourage women to share their experiences on Glassdoor where people can provide both positive and negative feedback on the companies they work for. Employers will see this and they will hopefully take action to rectify the situation. 

The most important thing is to ensure women are not silent when treated unfairly. By voicing concerns, we can all play our part to eliminate bias and encourage change..

Q4) What advice would you give to women who are considering going into Digital and Tech but who may be put off by the perception that they’re male-dominated industries?

I would encourage women to look around them for inspiration by reading and listening to material by influential women in the space and speaking to senior females for advice. Once upon a time, the vast majority of industries were male-dominated as women were unable to pursue careers due to legal and societal constraints, but it only took a handful of pioneers to change perceptions. We all have the power to challenge the ‘norm’ and carve a path to inspire future generations of women.