The Time for HERstory is Now

The 41st and 113th respective anniversaries of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day are reminders that while we celebrate women’s achievements, it’s also necessary to make space for progress towards equality. Before the pandemic began, women made up more than half of the American workforce. Since 2020, an estimated 9.5 million women left the global workforce. We need commitment and action to prevent further damage. When we look back at the progress made, we must also dissect the progress lost to identify how to best move forward.

By the Numbers

Women have been in the workforce for more than a century. Since the 1900s, women made strides towards equality, pioneered innovations and positively impacted society in countless ways. Most importantly, the women of yesterday cracked the ever-elusive glass ceiling. However, the past few years took an uneven toll on women.

According to Pew Research Center, the pandemic widened some gender disparities, including a more significant workforce withdrawal in those without a college degree. A Deloitte survey found that nearly seven in 10 women surveyed had negative shifts and felt their career progress would slow down due to the pandemic. According to the February 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report, the workforce participation rate among women, 57%, is noticeably lower than men, 68%, a rate not seen since 1988. The equivalent of one generation’s progress is gone.

For working mothers, the impacts of childcare and school closures or price increases is an additional burden. One in 10 working mothers surveyed by the Kaiser Family Foundation quit their jobs because of the pandemic, with half citing school closures as a reason. Nearly half of the respondents took unpaid sick leave due to school or daycare closures; at 65%, the rate is higher for low-income mothers. Another report found working mothers were forced to leave their jobs or downshift their careers. Some mothers also shifted their responsibilities or working hours to meet parenting demands.

Women’s global economic gains are at risk due to the pandemic. The United Nations found the pandemic is linked to the increasing gender-poverty gap, which is expected to worsen for women in 2030, especially for those aged 25 to 34. Before the pandemic, 206 million women and girls were projected to live in poverty. As a result of the pandemic, it’s predicted 232 million women will live in poverty compared to 221 million men. Without collective, deliberate action towards an equal world of work, this or something worse will be our reality.

A More Equal World of Work

For some demographic groups, the disproportionate recovery effects are staggering. Also according to February 2022 BLS data, employment totals for White women is over 53 million compared to nearly 10 million Black women and more than 11 million Hispanic women.

The negative impacts of gender disparities are palpable. Often, when there’s a “seat at the table” it’s the only one. Being “the only” woman or woman of color in your group or the boardroom can be lonely. A recent first-hand account in HuffPost highlights how a sense of accomplishment accompanies the alienating experience of representation. Being the only woman and only woman of color creates a “double only” experience, often associated with more hurdles.

Fostering a more diverse workplace is vital. Committing to further diversity and inclusion initiatives allows us to work with individuals from varied backgrounds with fresh perspectives and new ideas. Everyone thrives when we embrace our differences and work together. Additionally, reassessing gender equity initiatives is vital to create a more diverse hiring pipeline. Welcoming more women and women of color into an organization also welcomes productivity and innovation, which benefits all.

Creating Workforce Equality

Reevaluating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives creates accountability for each organization by outlining steps to hire and retain more women and women of color. Taking steps such as embracing flexibility and providing remote or hybrid work arrangements helps retain and sustain talent.

Contingent work, also known as contract or temporary work, is now considered a mainstream way of working. This way of working provides professionals with hands-on experience in an alternate field that could better align with long-term goals. Contingent work offers flexibility and a path to reenter the workforce, which are appealing benefits to some groups such as parents, caretakers and students.

Supporting employees remains crucial to helping them navigate work-life challenges and prevent burnout. Communication, encouragement to set and respect boundaries and one-on-one help to shift priorities to ensure workloads are manageable are helpful tactics leaders can easily implement.

Hiring practices and performance reviews have been seen as biased, sometimes unconsciously. Taking steps such as revising job descriptions and following quantifiable DEI goals creates more fairness. Additionally, cultivating a space where employees feel their contributions are respected and are encouraged to share ideas, perspectives and experiences is invaluable.

Fostering the success of more women and women of color requires more active champions of DEI by recruiting from underrepresented groups and practicing allyship. Women and minorities want better alignment and opportunities for upward mobility. Having open discussions to bridge any gaps that may exist is one step to retain these crucial components of a well-rounded team.

For decades, women and women of color made strides in both society and the world of work, yet we haven’t achieved a gender-equal workforce. The past three years of living and working in the pandemic placed undue hardship on some groups and caused severe damage to the progress made. The situation is crucial.

❔ Do you feel that progress has occurred to hire and retain more women and women of color in the last three years? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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