Gender inequality is a significant and mainstream social issue that is discussed in various platforms nowadays. Being a professional in the finance industry, which is a very male-dominating profession, it has been a challenge to adapt and navigate through this topic. Despite progress being made over time, the challenges exist to date in all professional set-ups.

Today's global statistics indicate that 50% of the world population are women. However, in contrast, women do not count to 50% of the leaders in business, leaders in politics, Boards of Directors, and not even in the workforce. There are many factors contributing to this, such as;

● Women play a significant role in the household compared to men and are therefore reluctant to join the workforce due to these societal commitments in place.

● Educational gaps in many countries despite recent improvements made.

● Less support from enablers such as their families, spouses, and their bosses at the workplace.

● Gender stereotyping.

● Harassment either sexual, verbal, or mental.

The importance of gender equality is not just limited to the workplace. The discussion should start from home, schools, universities, and other platforms where gender biases exist. For example, selecting a study path for men and women is extremely different in some countries, mainly countries of conservative nature. For example, being in the engineering industry for women, which is predominantly male-dominated can be a very difficult task as this is the perception that is set by the existing market and the culture. This not only limits women drawn into the industry, but also prevents women from excelling and thriving in the industry due to politics revealing in the system, eventually not making them feel welcomed. This can result in women losing interest, and motivation, and feeling neglected, and distressed throughout their careers despite their passion, and willingness to participate & contribute.

It is fair to say that we all have faced at least some of these challenges, if not all, at our workplaces. Some of these challenges are, not being able to have a fair opportunity to speak and share opinions, not being recognized at the workplace for the contributions made, not being given equal opportunity for promotions and pay rises and incentives, not being provided with a seat at the table, and the list goes on.

The impact of gender bias and inequality can lead to crucial implications for business and personal lives.

● By limiting women’s participation in the workforce, we are limiting the contribution, and this affects economic sustainability and growth.

● By nature, women and men bring different aspects to the workplace, considering empathy, approach to work, grit, multi-tasking, being driven, etc. Hence it is advisable to maintain the balance of genders which ultimately benefits the companies and economies.

● Women do play a pivotal role in homes; this means indirectly happy and content women at the workplace can bring energy to the homes eventually benefiting the families creating a circular impact.

Given the impact it creates and the importance of this topic, it is also vital to address these matters, by business leaders, HR professionals, and political leaders. Some strategies that will work in this situation would be;

● Ensuring equal participation in the hiring processes making sure adequate consideration is given irrespective of gender.

● Equal pay and transparency negating any parity in pay.

● Offering flexibility in terms of hours and location of work for both men and women.

● Development and mentorship programs allowing fair participation and inclusion.

● Addressing unconscious bias in terms of race, nationality, and gender.

Policies, procedures, and practices are crucial in promoting equality. However, most importantly it comes down to the workplace culture, which is a crucial aspect that will help transitioning this change. The tone at the top, which creates a culture that promotes respect and inclusion, where all voices are heard and valued, is essential. Further, continuous evaluation of the implemented practices, and policies and gathering of feedback which allows further streamlining, polishing, and refining such practices are an essential part of the business.

Let us all do our part to contribute, and create a welcoming environment for all, irrespective of all limitations, and ensure inclusion, participation, respect, care, and value.