This month's theme at SOS is Gender Equality & Equity.
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
However, the actions you take and how you communicate at work and in life (and how you are a role model for others) are more important than the definitions.
Although progress has certainly been made, women still earn 84 cents on every dollar their male counterparts make.
Gendered ageism is an issue that 80%+ of women have either experienced or witnessed.
And close to half (44%) of AI today contains some form of gender bias!
Ben Cooper-Woolley, Co-Founder at SiteHive is a tech leader. He admits:
"Like everyone, I have biases I'm continually working to overcome. One area I'm focusing on is 'affinity bias' - the tendency to gravitate towards people similar to ourselves. In the tech industry, this can lead to homogeneous teams and missed opportunities for diverse talent. To combat this, I've been intentional about expanding my professional network beyond my immediate circle. I actively seek out diverse perspectives at industry events and mentor programs. At SiteHive, we've implemented structured interview processes and diverse hiring panels to ensure we're evaluating candidates fairly."
That's one great example of how we can, in our day-to-day actions, look at our own beliefs and practices and take steps to overcome old habits that are often inadvertently biased.
If you work for a larger corporation, you can also take small but meaningful steps relating to policy. Says Camille Bradbury, VP of Communications for Matchr (which provides software and HR advice to HR professionals and executives):
"Performing frequent compensation analysis and audits will always be needed to avoid unconscious bias in our employment practices."
As we all know, facts are often more important than feelings in the workplace, and more executives need to look at their talent pool regularly to uncover any signs of inequality.
Self-reflection is often difficult for organizations, which is why Adam Bennett, Head of Marketing at Digital ID, says his company sought external help.
"We are working on overcoming unconscious biases by educating the wider internal team through a 3rd party HR provider, making a great effort to implement diversity training, and seeking diverse perspectives."
The solutions are not simple. Many people have developed attitudes from childhood and then they are reinforced throughout their educational experiences and by their workplaces.
When people see signs of inequality or need resources to upskill or retrain, they are sometimes afraid to speak up for fear of retribution, being the "odd woman out," or being accused of being chronic complainers.
Here's what you can do:
Know you're not alone! This study revealed just how common these issues are.
Know your facts.
Identify and cultivate male allies. The men we quoted in this blog are clear examples.
When you see or hear actions or language in your workplace or after-work environment that are offensive to women (or men), speak up—calmly and directly. Don't worry about being a party pooper. Here are some great tips.
Start paying attention to the images and language you see and hear in media, politics, and in social media. Have conversations with your family and friends about equity and equality. Be a good role model in your daily work and life.
If you believe you are working in an environment that doesn't support your values and you've done whatever you can to make a change, don't be afraid to walk away and find an employer or clients who truly support equity and equality. You are not giving up...you're simply preserving your own professional path and earning power.
We at SOS are committed to building a collaborative, safe, and upbeat environment where women and the men who support them can speak up honestly about the issues they face so that we can provide wisdom, perspectives, and resources.
Join us for some of our upcoming events and consider becoming a member.
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