A survey conducted by the professional development group Leadership for Good found that 61% of women in leadership roles believe that gender equality in the workplace has either not progressed or has deteriorated compared to the situation five years ago.
The said survey, which included over 100 women in leadership roles in New Zealand, revealed that more than half of the participants encountered difficulties in balancing their professional and personal lives. Additionally, many reported receiving unequal pay for equivalent work and experiencing gender-based micro-aggressions.
“Companies have often invested heavily to pull these women through their talent pipelines and then a third of them leave, which is an extraordinary waste of talent. Then we’ve got the impacts individually, three quarters saying it has affected their confidence, another half their mental health, another half relationships with friends and family and community.
“But the third impact on the business is the quality of decision-making, and McKinsey (a global management consulting firm) have argued through their research that companies that have a gender diverse senior leadership team are 50% more profitable than those that don’t,” Leadership for Good founder Sue Watson said, emphasising how inequality is bad for business.
Watson said it is surprising that women in senior positions continue to face these challenges.
“I think there might be a perception of women who do break through the glass ceiling and break into senior leadership roles that these things are no longer an issue … That’s the surprising thing that even our senior women leaders are saying, ‘yup, still dealing with this’.”
Watson also highlighted the need for improved gender policies and practices in workplaces, along with clear criteria for promotions and enhanced mentorship programs, to effectively address gender biases. She pointed out that these changes are essential for fostering an equitable work environment.