Fostering gender equality and including more women in leadership roles is getting renewed attention these days. While there is increased conversation and more awareness of workplace gender bias, there is still a considerable lag in fulfilling the promises of equality at work.
Even though women represent 58 per cent of all graduates in law, social science and business globally, they are still not well represented within business leadership. As per a study of 8,600 companies across 49 countries, women held only 16.9 per cent of the available board seats in 2018. In a 2020 report by Mercer of over 1,100 companies across the world, women made up only 23 per cent of executive positions. This leads to the question that amid the ‘noise’ to support women to lead and thrive, is there any real action and progress?
What are the Issues or Barriers Women Leaders Face in Today’s World?
According to a survey by ISACA, the primary barriers faced by women working in technology include workplace gender bias, wage inequality in comparison to male colleagues and a scarcity of female role models.
The report, 'The Future Tech Workforce: Breaking Gender Barriers' identified the top 5 barriers experienced by women in the technology sector as:
Lack of mentors (48%)
Lack of female role models (42%)
Gender bias in the workplace (39%)
Unequal growth opportunities in comparison to men (36%)
Unequal pay for the same skills (35%)
Why there is Less Participation of Women in the Top Managerial Roles in India
As far as the boardrooms of the Indian corporate sector are concerned, only a few women occupy top positions. A recent study carried out by an IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) faculty and her team showed that only a meagre 5 per cent of women have made it to top management positions and only 7 per cent have made it to senior executives. Some of the major reasons behind the less representation of women in top managerial roles include:
What Skills Should Women Possess to Overcome the Barriers?
Women who occupy leadership roles often encounter more scrutiny and are judged more harshly compared to their male counterparts. In fact, many women leaders across the world are of the opinion that they must work twice as hard to earn the same respect as men. Considering these challenges, there are certain skills women must focus on to overcome these barriers:
7 Strategies for Women to Overcome Barriers, Bias and Thrive in the Workplace
As per research, there are two types of factors that combine in subtle ways to create roadblocks for women: pull factors and push factors. Pull factors are internally driven like the limitations women place on themselves, dragging them away from leadership actions or roles. On the other hand, push factors are externally driven like the limitations placed on women by their organisation, others in their network and the society or culture. These two factors are intertwined, as women respond to and shape their context.
While externally driven factors certainly hinder the ability of many women to succeed, the key to unlocking opportunity is to simultaneously overcome internal barriers that are holding them back. Here’s how both these factors can be addressed for women to achieve success:
Concluding Thoughts
While organisations around the world are gradually beginning to take steps to establish solutions to gender bias and help women thrive, women will also need to spend more time reflecting and focusing on themselves, stepping out of their comfort zones and taking on new challenges with confidence. Coupled with an encouraging and supportive work environment, they can more effectively chart a course to leadership and build self-confidence that can go a long way in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.