Ninety-five years. That’s how long women in the UK have had the vote on the same terms as men.
Workplace opportunities and equality have improved further since then. Last month, FTSE 350 companies met their target of 40 per cent women on boards and in senior leadership roles, three years ahead of target.
In 2022, a record number of women launched their own enterprise in the UK, and a growing number of women are now in the British workforce. These opportunities are a result of many major steps we’ve taken over the years, including campaigning for maternity and paternity leave and for men to take on more domestic responsibilities.
But for all the contributions made by humankind, and the vast improvements in business and legislation over the decades, we still have a long way to go.
Last week, media reports announced that Spain plans to introduce ‘menstrual leave’ for women who suffer from severe period pain. If passed, it would be the first such legal entitlement in Europe.
Overtly highlighting gender or women’s health in the workplace, like paid menstrual leave or menopausal leave, I fear might transport us to an era most of us thought we’d left behind - one in which office workers will undoubtedly focus on if and when a woman has her period. It could mean negative stereotypes around female life stages rear up.
It might sound drastic, but opting to create female-centric, reductive policies like these means we’re singling out gender. We risk creating an immediate imbalance. And it’s nothing more than tokenism, lacking in nuance.
So what are the solutions? To continue to celebrate women, yes, and the incredible ways women have challenged society to pave the way for a greater future. But to also work beyond gender, to champion and support individuals with a compassionate, inclusive and fair mindset.
Repeatedly emphasising differences - whatever they may be - brushes the real issues areound hindering women’s careers under the carpet. And importantly, they distract us from the fact that businesses are more successful with an equal and diverse workforce.
Four ways to address workplace equality
When we talk about workplace equality, there are two key points to make. Firstly, in some male-dominated industries which have historically repressed women, it will take years to unwind negative effects on female professionals. Secondly, simple steps, consistently, can have a significant impact.
- Seek a wider talent pool. If you’re a business leader consistently attracting the same types of candidates, look further afield. Expanding your reach will expand your opportunities, capabilities, and talent. This will also support your efforts to close the gender pay gap and create a space for more women to enter leadership roles.
- Opt for parental leave. The best way to equalise maternity and paternity leave is to readdress it as ‘parental leave’ and encourage partners (and one another) to take leave collectively. This equalises family responsibilities and enables equal opportunity for female and male professionals, as well as same sex couples and non-binary professionals. It can also cater for those choosing surrogacy, adoption or couples undergoing IVF.
- A compassionate approach to workplace health. Whether it’s period pain, chronic conditions, care responsibilities, or anything else for that matter, the motivation should be creating an environment of mutual trust and compassion for and by everyone. A workplace where colleagues have the ability to prioritise their careers and wellbeing side-by-side, regardless of gender or gender identity, is truly an equal one.
- Mark International Men’s Day. For businesses and professionals alike, commemorating International Women’s Day well means marking its equivalent in November. International Men’s Day often focuses on male health and encourages men to seek medical or professional help if and when they need it.
There’s an important distinction between highlighting differences and embracing differences. Any conversation around diversity and inclusivity must include how we embrace certain differences on an individual and collective level, and the merit that these bring to businesses.
But obsessively emphasising how men and women, or any individual for that matter, may be ‘different’ risks driving seismic gaps in the workplace. It risks creating silos and cliques.
As a group, women make up around 50 per cent of working professionals. The vast proportion of female professionals aren’t looking for benefits or policies that single them out purely based on their gender. They want to achieve their professional and personal goals, much like their male counterparts do.
