International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.
Not only is this year’s theme focusing on #EmbraceEquity, but the mission for women at work is:
‘To forge inclusive cultures where women’s careers thrive, and their achievements are celebrated.’
Fostering inclusive cultures is the way forward to supporting women and their careers and embracing equity within your business. However, this isn’t just a one-day-a-year thing. This is an everyday thing.
It’s time to be advocates for inclusive cultures, and L&D is your answer.
Equality vs Equity
First, it’s important to understand, and value, the difference between Equity and Equality.
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
Equity is not about giving everyone the exact same thing, but giving everyone what they need to be successful. If we give everyone the exact same thing, expecting that will make people equal, it assumes that everyone started out in the same place. No two people are the same, and neither are their needs.
“Equality is giving everyone a shoe. Equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.” – Susan K Gardner, Oregon State University.
So, where do you begin to forge inclusive cultures and #EmpowerEquity in the workplace?
Provide learning opportunities
Learning is how we grow and succeed, so it’s no wonder 43% of people want more! Whether it’s for career progression, promotion, or just to expand knowledge, your people are telling you they are desperate to learn. But is there inequality when it comes to access?
According to our Learner Survey Report, 31% of women felt they needed a stronger skill set than men (22%) to get a promotion or pay rise. And with 48% of women saying they needed more learning opportunities, compared to 39% of men, it was clear women weren’t being provided with the same access to learning and development opportunities.
There are so many factors that come into this gender gap issue, and time is one of them! To embrace equity in the workplace, your people need the tools that set them on the path to success, no matter where they started. And a Learning Management System provides this.
eLearning through an LMS is a simple, but effective way of retaining important knowledge. Not only that, but our Learner Survey Report actually discovered that women prefer this style of learning as it promotes flexibility. Besides, your people are more likely to engage and retain material through eLearning because it requires around 50% less learning time, and is completed at their own pace. So, why not provide more options for your people’s learning? An LMS has the learning your people need, at a time and pace that they need.
Everybody has a future with learning. And everyone has the right to choose their own career progression path. By providing equal opportunities and access to learning for all your people, you’re showing your support for their development journey and career progression.
Discover more about Learn LMS today.
Education goes a long way
Unfortunately, women are consistently judged as having less leadership potential than their male counterparts, making them 14% less likely to be promoted each year. Just because of their gender. Nothing about skills, capability, dedication, or education is evaluated here. Women are literally judged as having fewer leadership qualities because they are in fact, a woman. Enough is enough, and we can do better as a society and within our organisations to destroy these deep-seated biases.
A diverse workforce can offer a variety of perspectives that can support breakthroughs in creative and innovative ideas. That’s why more diverse teams can outperform by 46%.
But diverse workforces can only thrive if you support inclusivity within your workforce, so create an environment where employees won’t feel the need to conform. 83% of employees revealed they felt empowered and engaged in the workplace when they believed their company fostered an authentically inclusive culture.
Educate!
Our Unconscious Bias Course helps your people to understand what these biases are, tips on how to uncover and challenge personal biases, as well as understanding the impact on both peers and customers.
Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Course teaches how to discuss equity and diversity issues confidently, identify discrimination, and articulate the benefits of diverse perspectives.
Find out more about our engaging and interactive courses here.
Equitable career pathways
Female leadership representation has grown over the past decade but are still underrepresented compared to men. Women make up just 30% of UK leadership roles. Why is this? Ambition is high, but unfortunately, visibility is lacking.
Unfortunately, menopause contributes to the disruption of women’s careers. One in 10 women who worked during the menopause said they had quit their jobs due to symptoms, while 14% had reduced their hours and 14% had gone part-time. Insane numbers, but you can help mitigate this risk. With small changes such as flexible working and educating peers, you can support and empower those going through menopause, as well as breaking the stigma throughout your organisation.
57% of women believe that having a relatable role model is crucial to achieving career success and 70% agree it’s easier to be like someone you can see. Seeing other women succeed is significant, whether you’re in an entry level role or management level. This is why women at work need access to more networking, more coaching, more mentors – they need champions.
Empower the women in your organisation by setting up mentor programmes, with women in leadership positions that can support, guide, and inspire those to reach for the career they desire. Networking events are also a great way of developing a safe community for women to talk to others in the business to get the support and guidance they need.
Empower people success
The feeling of being empowered, supported, and encouraged along the desired career path should be the norm for women. And you can create this for your people. With equitable access to career support, endless learning opportunities, and educating the company, an inclusive culture where women can thrive is closer than you think.
Speak to one of our friendly experts to see how you can empower your people and develop an inclusive culture.
Written by Claire Moloney Claire is an enthusiastic and meticulous content writer whose passion is to support growth and continual learning for everyone.
