Corporate

23 November 2022

We have all heard and unfortunately, even seen that women often face gender discrimination at work. Many women feel that their gender can be a barrier to their career progression. In a world where everyone is competing for success, it is important that we support our female team members in the workplace. And after a global pandemic, it is even more crucial to combat gender inequality to give fair and equal rights to both men and women. 

Although there are now more women in leadership roles, they remain underrepresented at many levels. You can and should do more to empower and support your female members. Here’s a starter guide:

6 ways to support your female team members

Here are a few ways you can support your female coworker after COVID-19. 

• Close gender pay gap

One of the most prevalent issues of gender inequality in the workplace is the unequal pay gap between men and women. One way to support your female coworker is to offer fair pay. There should be a salary bracket for different job positions, and whoever fills the role should be paid fairly, irrespective of gender. 

COVID-19 disrupted the finances and business, resulting in women facing distinct challenges after the pandemic. Female team members are 1.5 times more likely than men to think about leaving the workforce because of unequal pay. Clearly, to retain your female team members and promote equality, it is important to close the gender pay gap in every organisation.

• Give women opportunities

According to a report by CNBC, men get three times more promotions than women in the workplace. Also, as per the international labour organisation, the global labour force participation rate amongst women is 49%, and for men it is about 75%. There is a difference of 26 percentage points depicting a global gap between men and women who are employed or actively looking for employment opportunities. There is a need to provide better opportunities to your female team members and encourage them to pursue promotional opportunities, challenging assignments, and leadership opportunities. 

• Make sure the ideas are heard

This doesn’t need to be said, but here it is anyway – there’s no reason to believe that women’s ideas are any less important than men’s in a business discussion. Encouraging your female team members and providing them with an opportunity to raise their voices, voicing their opinions, and giving them a chance to represent themselves in decision-making can help in closing the wide gender gap in the workforce. 

Moreover, promoting open channels of communication and encouraging active participation by women can create a sense of belonging. Make sure you give time to your female team members to put forward their ideas and views. 

• Providing mentorships

Mentorships can largely help women succeed in the business world. To support your female team members, you can promote mentorship programs in your organisation to encourage them and help them excel in their careers. 

According to a survey conducted by leanin.org, about 60% of men feel uncomfortable mentoring women in a workplace. Therefore, one way to support your female team members is by offering mentorship and sponsorship programs to help them climb the ladder of success.

• Giving credit 

According to a study report by the University of Delaware, women receive less credit for speaking up in the workplace than their male counterparts. Not giving credit to your female team members can discourage them or make them less confident in their ability to take up challenging tasks. 
Therefore they are less likely to step forward for promotional challenges. It is important to give credit to your female team members by acknowledging their contributions and giving them the recognition they deserve for good ideas. 

• Celebrating accomplishments

One another way is by celebrating their business achievements and contributions. Recognising and celebrating women’s accomplishments can further help close the gap in gender equality. Introducing your female co-workers by highlighting their accomplishments is one way to support them and encourage them to step up their careers. 

It is important to prioritise the inclusion of women in the workplace to bring society closer to closing the gender inequality gap. 

Giving enough opportunities and creating empowering experiences for your female team members is one way to show your commitment to promoting the well-being of all the employees of your organisation, irrespective of their gender.