Over the past decade, organisations have made positive strides in advancing gender diversity and equity, including promoting and recruiting more women into leadership roles. This is a welcome development, but recent data shows that the road ahead is still paved with challenges.
By Tariro Mutizwa, ACMA, CGMA, vice-president: Africa at AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants
In fact, Deloitte’s Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective report shows that women hold less than 23,3% of board seats globally in 2024, this is only a 3,6% increase since 2022.
This disconcerting reality means that we may only achieve gender parity at leadership level in 14 years, in 2038 to be precise – which is unacceptable.
To make sure that in a decade we are further ahead, we will need to intensify our efforts.
Provide women with opportunities to learn and grow
As a woman in leadership position for a global professional accounting and finance body, I am always touting the importance of skilling and reskilling throughout our careers, especially as the world changes at an unprecedented pace.
For women to grow and perform in their roles with confidence and motivation, they should be provided with relevant, flexible training opportunities such as skill development workshops, mentoring, and women leadership programmes.
In addition, we need to empower women by assigning them high-impact projects, enabling them to showcase their skills and potential, and not be dismissed due to preconceived notions and unconscious biases.
This will not only encourage them to grow in their roles, but also demonstrate the organisation’s confidence in their leadership abilities and commitment to providing them with the support they need to succeed. This is how we start breaking the glass ceiling.
Women need mentorship to rise to higher positions
Women need to be supported to navigate their professional lives better, and offering women the opportunity to have a mentor, a sponsor, or a coach, will help them better navigate the working environment, advance their careers, and rise to the top.
Understandably, organisations may not have leaders internally who can take on the role of mentors; in that case, it may be best to look externally.
Organisations can play significant roles in pairing their women employees with professional coaches, getting them to join professional bodies and pay for their membership fees, and enrol them into organisations like Toastmasters, where they can meet their peers and grow their skills as effective speakers and negotiators.
Create a better work environment for mothers
As a mother of two, I understand all too well the challenge of balancing work responsibilities with motherhood – it is not an easy feat.
The maternal wall, a pervasive bias based on the belief that women with children and caregiving responsibilities are less committed to their career, has historically hindered women from advancing into leadership roles.
It is imperative for all organisations to recognise that women, in addition to being valuable employees, may also be mothers, guardians, or carers. By implementing policies that counteract biases against working mothers and providing support programmes, business leaders can facilitate a more inclusive work environment.
Organisations can support working women in many ways including:
- Introduce structured programmes to support new working mothers coming back to work.
- Offer flexibility or hybrid work to support women with their caring responsibilities.
- Ensure that parental leave policies are generous and inclusive, allowing both parents to take time off to care for their newborns.
- Introduce policies that support women experiencing menopause in the workplace.
Address salary disparities between men and women
It seems obvious but women should be paid the same as their male colleagues for performing the same job, but we know that is not always the case.
However, this is one of the best ways to ensure that organisations do not lose talented women. It is also a good idea to establish clear compensation policies outlining how pay is determined, including criteria for raises and promotions, and implementing pay transparency to promote equity and trust.
Dedicating specific months of the year to women’s empowerment is valuable, it helps raise awareness, celebrates achievements, and encourages ongoing support for gender equity and diversity – but it should not be the only time we think about these important issues.
Achieving gender parity in the workplace is a formidable task requiring sustained commitment and actions all year round. This is essential to create lasting, meaningful change.