Gender equality - it’s certainly an ongoing hot topic in Australian workplaces.

From the gender pay gap to occupational segregation and bias, these clear disparities highlight the need for a continual conversation about how we can address these systemic inequalities and help build more inclusive societies for everyone. Even the UN is talking about it, putting gender equality as one of their 17 Global Goals! 

To play our part in this conversation and in honour of the 2024 International Women’s Day theme, Count Her In: Invest in Women, Talenza hosted an all-star panel to discuss these continued challenges. With Jake Stainton, Associate Director at Talenza,  Kate McBean, General Manager of Marketing at NRMA and  Erin Turner, Director of Experience Design at Optus, we took a deep dive into ways we can support and elevate the women in our workplaces and help pave the way for progress.

Finding Flexibility 

It’s been the subject of many work-related discussions and it continues to be a part of the conversation for equality - we’re talking about flexibility. Sure, part-time roles and work-from-home gigs are a great first step (studies show that 43% of millennial women see remote working options as a crucial component of choosing an employer and 56% will change jobs if flexible working arrangements aren’t available), but there’s a little more to it than that. It’s about giving more control over hours and allowing for paid time off. Women typically (though we know men can hold down the fort too) are the ones managing the kids and family matters, coordinating activities and school pick up and drop-offs. It’s about allowing women to fit their work around their life schedule. As Kate noted during our discussion, “There have to be gender-inclusive policies that actually benefit women in a huge way. Women [need] policies that allow them to be a good mum, be a good parent and be a really impactful employee.” 

Make it Meaningful 

Women need to find their work meaningful if they’re going to feel it’s worth the effort of fitting it in around the chaos of life. Ensuring your employees understand the meaning their work has, the “why” or the higher purpose it contributes to, helps keep them engaged. Having purpose fuels a fire much longer than pure passion. If you’re sitting alone in front of a computer in your home office every day, you can quickly become disenfranchised if you don’t feel like you’re really achieving or helping anything. Maybe they’re sitting there punching numbers into spreadsheets all day, but that data ensures the company can keep growing and when the company keeps growing, it’s able to provide more support to its clients or customers. You need to make sure everyone sees the bigger picture.

Getting a Seat at the Table 

An ongoing pain point when it comes to the discussion around finding equality for women in the workplace is equal opportunities for growth, development and progression - ensuring women have a seat at the big table. As Erin pointed out during our panel discussion, “One of the things that I have noticed is the tendency for some females to hold themselves back because of assumptions they have or because of how things have happened in the past”. When women don’t typically see other females rising through the ranks, they don’t feel it’s a possibility for them - we need them to see it is. A great way to do this is through sponsorship. Different from mentorship, sponsorship is having someone powerful there to back you up and show support when you start to take steps towards C-suite roles. As Erin highlighted, “My role as a leader isn't necessarily to go in and push them or force them to do something, but more to have those conversations … exploring what's happening for that individual and potentially challenging some of their assumptions to allow them to think differently and to go for those opportunities.” 

Hearing Their Voice 

When women do make it to the big leagues, the next challenge is making sure their voice is actually heard. Research shows that often when in more senior or technical roles, women find themselves as the only female in a meeting. This can cause them to be interrupted, talked over or simply ignored. This ongoing pattern can leave women feeling sidelined, disempowered and less likely to speak up in future. 

A great way to prevent this is to build a culture of allyship in your workplace. Every individual has a role to play in making work a safe space for all. Having an environment where people feel empathy for their colleagues and support diversity, equity and inclusion policies and processes can help improve that sense of belonging. This helps  boost workplace and job satisfaction, productivity, engagement and psychological safety, particularly when it comes from those higher up. As Kate noted during our discussion, “I think of everyone as having really unique circumstances that make them who they are. I think, as leaders, really understanding that and taking the time to get to know the people in our team and understand what makes them tick and what's important for them is really important.” 

Put Supports in Place 

Even with all the right policies in place, it doesn’t stop women from facing tough times and stress in life. When that happens, it’s important to have a support network they can turn to. One great way to do this is to create an employee resource group. These communities allow women to connect with other women, find mentors and just have a place where they can lift one another up during tough times. Erin gave a great example during our webinar. 

“One of the communities that I'm part of is called Elevate Community … where a group of employees will come together and we choose a different topic each week [to discuss]. It's around things that women tend to experience or do that hold them back in the workplace… It could be how you negotiate or how you think about your own career development. It's really a great environment for people to come together and just challenge our assumptions.” 

Encouraging Self Advocacy 

We’ve talked a lot about what workplaces can do to help women, but what can we do to also help women help themselves? When it comes to career advancement, promotions and development opportunities will only take us so far, we need to back ourselves. Research shows  that having a sense of psychological safety in the workplace is crucial for ensuring people are comfortable to take risks and share their thoughts and ideas. The same goes for women and ensuring they feel confident to speak up and promote their talents and career goals. As Kate highlighted during the panel, seeing someone set an example is also critically important. 

“I think a lot of women are raised to be quiet and listen and possibly haven't seen [this] behaviour modelled in a workplace. I make no apologies for being assertive when I'm negotiating promotions or salaries, or even just trying to get support for an initiative. I think being able to model that behaviour is conducive to a very harmonious and happy work culture.” 

Nothing Happens Overnight 

If you want to create a workplace that truly champions the women around us, it’s important to have an understanding, respect and appreciation for diversity. Building a culture of acceptance along with systemic and procedural changes is the key to creating these safe spaces. We know nothing happens overnight, but if we all took a few small steps today, we can create a future where discussion about inequality becomes a thing of the past. 

Interested in watching our full International Women’s Day webinar? Catch the full discussion here.