Why women value gender-equal workplaces

It’s International Women’s Day coming up! And a business just emailed me offering 20% off solar lights to celebrate..... Because nothing says gender equality like a discount on outdoor lighting. And honestly, this sums up how most businesses approach today. They post pictures of their female staff. They put on cupcakes. But what are they actually doing? Women are still the primary caregivers. In 54% of Australian families, the mother is the main carer. Only 4% say it’s the father. Mothers are the ones making career sacrifices. 80% of UK mothers leave full-time work after having kids, moving to part-time or reducing their hours. Workplace inflexibility is forcing women out. In Australia, nearly one-third (32%) of mothers who faced discrimination related to pregnancy or parental leave quit or had to find a new job. In the UK, over half (52%) of women have left or considered leaving a job due to a lack of flexible working options. Businesses that actually offer real flexibility (remote work, part-time, hybrid) retain their female talent longer, boost productivity, and perform better financially. So, if a company isn’t offering real flexibility to support women’s careers, what exactly are they celebrating today? Because cupcakes don’t fix this.

Equitable workplaces will attract top women's talent. Businesses that help women progress as quickly as men could gain a major competitive edge in 2026. Over three-quarters of employees (76%) say they're more likely to stay long term if their employer supports diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Meanwhile, 43% would quit if it doesn't – with rates even higher among women, Gen Z and millennials, according to recent US data. The bigger risk? "Quiet quitting", which drains productivity and innovation. At a time when many companies have reversed their gender balance commitments amid political pushback against DEI, women in particular risk feeling less engaged, less loyal and more likely to move to an employer that hasn't scaled back on gender balance goals. So the best way to attract top female talent in 2026 will be to announce, loud and proud, that you still care about equality between women and men, and that you intend to do something about it. UK retailer Currys did just that, reporting a 37% annual profit rise in 2025 despite flat retail markets. Investing in a gender-balanced culture was key to its turnaround: narrowing the median gender pay gap to 3.3% (well below the 13.1% national average) and introducing wellbeing policies such as pregnancy loss and menopause support. Today, Currys ranks in the top 3% of companies worldwide for staff engagement. The economic case is clear too: Increasing women's workplace participation added about £6.2bn per year to UK GDP between 2011 and 2023, PwC data shows – proving DEI pays off in multiple ways. ✍ Mary Ann Sieghart, Founding Partner of The Authority Gap Consultancy 📷 Getty Images 💡 This is one of a several ideas LinkedIn News is highlighting in our annual list of predictions. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/BI26UnitedKingdom Join the conversation in the comments or share your own prediction in a post or video with #BigIdeas2026.

In my work as a Gender Equity consultant, I conduct 'Stay Interviews' for organisations to understand the experiences of women and explore what can be done to better support, engage and retain them. One conversation with a mid-level woman technologist really stood out. "Our expectations from men are shaped by years of seeing so little, even the smallest effort feels like a blessing." She shared how, growing up, her father hardly contributed to household chores or supported her in schoolwork. Not much was expected from her elder brother, but she had to support her mother in chores. Fast forward to today, her husband, though supportive, only takes on about 15% of household and child care responsibilities, and yet she’s so very grateful for that. Our standards for men are shaped by this historical lack of emotional intelligence and caregiving support. Even the smallest gestures of help and understanding, feels like a great effort. This carries over to the workplace, where many women face the same lack of support and recognition, by managers who unfortunately are mostly men, given the gender composition in our workplaces. Male managers often struggle with emotional intelligence, failing to understand or value the multi-faceted contributions of women employees. Women, in turn, accept sexism, bad managers, and gaps in growth, compensation, and support because these behaviours have become normalised. But it’s time for change. Women need to start expecting more, at home, at work, everywhere. Ask for more, and hold the system accountable. it’s time to demand it. #GenderEquity #WomenInTech #Leadership #DEI #SystemicChange #StayInterviews Diversity Simplified Image Description: Quote card - Even the smallest effort feels like a blessing, our expectations from men are shaped by what we’ve never seen.”

While going through a recent study on working women in India, I came across some eye-opening insights that underline both the progress we’ve made and the challenges that remain. The findings provide a clear roadmap for organizations aiming to foster gender equity and inclusivity: Key Insights: - Ambition Unleashed: 90% of women are willing to go above and beyond in their roles, with 73% identifying as highly ambitious—shattering the myth that women lack drive or aspirations. - Retention and Bias: 42% of women experience workplace bias, making them 3.5 times more likely to leave. Inclusive leadership isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a retention strategy. - The Motherhood Penalty:1 in 3 mothers report career setbacks post-maternity, a stark reminder that we need policies that don’t penalize women for their life choices. - The Burnout Reality:Women handle 64% of domestic responsibilities, leading to significant time poverty and burnout, with 81% feeling mentally exhausted. - Leadership's Ripple Effect: Organizations with visible women leaders have a tangible impact on fostering equity and inspiring confidence in their workforce. Lessons for Organizations: - Flexibility Wins: Policies like flexible work arrangements and returnship programs aren’t perks—they’re essentials for retaining women talent. - Representation Matters: Promoting women into visible leadership roles helps create role models and a more inclusive organizational culture. - Mental Health is Key: Actively addressing bias, microaggressions, and workplace mental health challenges is non-negotiable. Why This Matters: Equity isn’t just a moral imperative—it’s a driver of innovation and growth. When women succeed, organizations thrive. But achieving this success requires deliberate action, not just intent. How can we, as leaders and changemakers, create workplaces where ambition isn’t hindered, and potential is fully realized? I’d love to hear your thoughts. 👇🙂 #GenderEquity #LeadershipMatters #InclusiveWorkplace #WomenInLeadership #WorkplaceCulture

How often do we hear the trope that women are simply less ambitious than men, or that they “choose” not to pursue highly paid leadership roles? Fortunately, new research allows us to debunk this myth. My collaborators Erika Kirgios and Edward Chang ran a series of experiments with more than 4,500 people, both in a real organization and online. They found that when women were told their employer had diversity goals and incentives in place, women’s aspirations to lead increased meaningfully. Why? Because those policies signaled that the organization was serious about supporting women’s leadership, including making sponsorship from managers more accessible. As Erika explains: “These findings suggest that the leadership gap between men and women is not simply driven by differences in preferences (e.g., women feeling a lack of ‘fit’ in leadership roles, or preferring to focus on work-life balance). Instead, women seem to strategically respond to information about whether their environment is likely to support their aspirations, or not.” The takeaway is clear: women’s leadership aspirations are shaped by the environment and the systems we design. Organizations have the power to send signals that make ambition feel both possible and supported. Shout-out to MoreThanNow, which Edward, Erika, and I collaborate with on experiments exactly like this one inside organizations. You can read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/exw3hB6e

🎤 That Conversation Hit Different Last week I had the privilege of co-hosting a fireside chat at KMFA with Jillian French on Navigating Workplace Challenges: Women, Bias, and Leadership—and wow, the honesty in that room was exactly what we need more of. That discussion reminded me that these workplace challenges aren't just statistics—they're daily realities for so many women. Here's what came up for us: 🚨 The "Harmless" Jokes: Women shared experiences with male colleagues making jokes that cross the line, leaving them uncomfortable and unsure how to respond without being labeled "too sensitive" or damaging work relationships. 💰 The Pay Gap Is Personal: Women in the room reported discovering they're paid significantly under the salary range than male counterparts doing the same work. The shock and betrayal in their voices? Completely justified. 👩💼 When Women Don't Have Your Back: We dove deep into a painful reality: women working for women who don't support them. Is this generational? Is it competition fueled by self preservation? The answer is complex, but the impact is real. When there are so few seats at the table, some women feel they have to protect their position rather than pull others up. ⚖️ Redefining Success: Many women aren't trying to climb the Corporate ladder. They just want to feel valued and fairly compensated for the work they're actually doing. That's not asking for less—that's asking for what they deserve. 🛑 The Boundary Backlash: Women shared that when they dove into a big project or sprint and then set boundaries around overworking (no more 60-hour weeks, no more being available 24/7), they're labeled as "not committed" or "not keeping up." Here are the top two stats we shared that are jarring: 🤯 The Gender Pay Gap Widened for the Second Year in a Row In 2024, women earned only 80.9% of what men earned, marking the second consecutive year that the gender pay gap has widened rather than narrowed. 🤯 At this rate, women of color won't reach workplace parity until 2072. The women in that room, myself included, are stuck in a world where they have to choose to call out inequities, set boundaries, support each other, and refuse to accept "that's just how it is." all without losing their job. To HR leaders: If women on your team are telling you they're underpaid, look into it for them. If they're setting boundaries, respect them. If they're calling out inappropriate behavior, back them up. To the women fighting these battles, often masked by microagressions: You're not too sensitive. You're not asking for too much. You're not imagining it. And you're definitely not alone. Thank you to everyone who showed up with courage and candor. I will be sure to keep this conversation going. 💪 Let me know your thoughts 👇🏼 #WomenInLeadership #HRLeadership #PayEquity #WorkplaceCulture #WomenSupportingWomen #SetBoundaries #EqualPay #Leadership #AustinTX #WomenInBusiness

Powerful new research from Deloitte's 2024 Women @ Work Report shows that women working at "Gender Equality Leaders" (organizations that according to women who work there have created inclusive cultures that support their careers, work/life balance, and foster inclusion) see significantly more positive workplace outcomes in comparison with women working at other organizations. Women who work at Gender Equality Leaders feel safer, more comfortable talking about their mental health, more comfortable working flexibly without fear of the impact on their career, and report higher levels of loyalty, productivity, and motivation. Women working at Gender Equality Leaders are also more optimistic about their career prospects, 2x as likely to recommend their organization to other women, less likely to have experienced non-inclusive behaviors, have lower stress, are less likely to have used time off for mental health challenges, and are significantly more likely to plan to stay with their employer and see their organization as somewhere they want to progress. These are HUGE wins for both individual women and for the organizations that employ them. But, only 6% of women work at a Gender Equality Leader organization. The full report is full of additional insights across a broad range of workplace outcomes and includes research-based actions to help more organizations become Gender Equality Leaders. Well worth a full read. https://lnkd.in/eAbNTrfr #WomenLeaders #WomenAtWork #GenderEquality #WomensLeadership #WorkplaceWellBeing ID: An infographic with text included in the body of this post. -- As always, thoughts and views are my own and do not represent those of my current employer.

Women working for organisations that have an edge in gender equality exhibit more loyalty, are more productive, and highly motivated, reports Rica Bhattacharya for The Economic Times, citing the latest edition of Deloitte’s Women at Work survey. They are more likely to recommend a job at their company to other women, and feel more happy with the mental health support provided to them. Women in such organisations are more confident about the career opportunities ahead, the survey finds. Saraswathi Kasturirangan, Chief Happiness Officer at Deloitte India, says that when a company takes action on its policies towards women professionals, it also contributes to overall growth. That said, the survey also talks about return-to-office mandates and how it has resulted in adjustment issues for many women employees. While 41% of women have demanded a reduction in their working hours, 31% believe that return-to-office mandates have impacted their mental wellness. Additionally, nearly 96% of women in India feel that requesting flexible work options from their managers might negatively impact their career progression, the survey finds. Whereas 91% feel uncomfortable discussing work-life balance with their managers. Male employees must also be trained to become better partners both at work and home, says Kasturirangan. Organisations must rethink their policies when it comes to parental care and adult caregiving by offering more day-care provisions, she adds. The survey includes responses from 5,000 women across 10 countries, including India, the report adds. Source: https://lnkd.in/g6PSUQG5 ✍: Divya Pathak 📷: Getty Images #GenderEquity #WomenAtWork

Today is Women’s Equality Day - a day honoring the passage of the 19th Amendment, allowing women to vote, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality. There has been so much progress since 1920, however, women hold just 6 percent of CEO positions in the United States. Women of color remain underrepresented at every level of leadership. Data shows that women also receive less leadership development support than men at every level. To advance our workplaces, the best place to begin is to ask women! Here are some real stories I hear from my clients and community that highlight what women really want to see in action at work: 🗣️“I want to feel seen and supported without having to default to more masculine traits.” 🗣️ “I want to see women who look like me in the C-Suite - so I know there’s room for me to advance here and I can see a role model for leadership.” 🗣️ “I want a flexible work environment that includes remote working options.” 🗣️ “I want a career development program that invests in me and developing my leadership skills.” 🗣️ “I want to see diversity in the senior leadership team.” ➡️ And if they are job seekers, they often won’t apply if they don’t see a diverse c-suite on your website. 🗣️ “I want to feel like my voice is heard and it matters and be taken as seriously as my male counterparts.” 🗣️ “I want to have the same grace for mistakes my male colleagues seem to get and feel relief from the burden of being ‘the only woman’ and ‘perfect.’ “ 🔥 Closing the gaps for women is a both/and solution. Organizations need to evaluate the systems, policies and people they have in place that hinder gender diversity. And as women, we can do our part by advocating the changes we want to see at work and leading confidently to empower the generations behind us. Organizations that have diverse leadership teams are more profitable and innovative than those who don’t. What changes do you think are important for the future of work to advance women more equitably? #womensequalityday #womenleaders #careers #confidence #leadershipdevelopment

For International Women’s Day, I asked five remarkable colleagues and friends one question: What truly enables women to succeed at work? Their answers were powerful — and deeply aligned with this year’s IWD theme, “Give To Gain”. When we invest in the conditions where women can thrive, everyone gains. Teams get stronger. Organisations become more resilient. Leadership becomes more human. Here’s what they shared Mia - reminded us that success starts with safety — financial, physical/digital, and emotional. Women thrive where they feel protected, valued, and able to take risks without facing harsher consequences than their male peers. And Mia’s challenge to leaders is essential: stop tracking only how many women you hire. Start measuring retention, career satisfaction, and upward mobility — the real indicators of whether women can actually succeed. Lavinia - highlighted what many workplaces still overlook: women progress when they can grow as professionals and as people. A clear organisational vision, genuine recognition, supportive culture, respect for family life, and empathy as a leadership strength — not a soft skill. Her words stay with me: “Equality doesn’t just make a team successful — it makes it unbeatable.” Petra - captured the heart of it with striking simplicity: "Real progress begins with fairness — seeing each woman as an individual, valuing her talent, and creating equal opportunities. And it grows when people stand behind her, encouraging her to step forward." Fairness → Support → Courage → Growth. Ozlem - brought attention to authenticity and courage. True growth happens when women are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones and to lead in their own authentic style — not squeezed into outdated leadership molds. We don’t need more conformity. We need more originality at the table. Claudia - confronted the system itself — and her insight is critical. The leadership pipeline is not neutral. Women are too often denied sponsorship, excluded from decision‑making circles, and deprived of the safe operating space that leadership requires. As a result, they end up doing invisible labour that enables male leaders to shine — while their own potential goes unrecognized. Claudia’s message is clear: rewire sponsorship, formalize safe‑space practices, and enforce fair promotion slates — or organisations will continue losing leadership capacity they desperately need. The data underscores the urgency: 📊 → For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 93 women are promoted — and only 60 Black women. → 45% of women report feeling burned out. These aren’t numbers. They are Mia, Lavinia, Petra, Ozlem, Claudia, Ana — and millions of women navigating systems not built with them in mind. Share it below or tag a woman who has shaped how you think about leadership. Thank you to my wife Ana to for her support and to my colleague Gisela for helping with this post. #IWD26 #LinkedInNewsEurope