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What does it mean to be equitable and how is gender equity related to gender equality? Gender equality is the concept that everyone has the same rights, responsibilities and opportunities, regardless of their gender. Gender equity, according to a report by the International Labour Organization, is the fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs and interests. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities."
Gender equity is the foundation required for gender equality and to this day, it is still a concept that many organizations strive for, yet still experience difficulty achieving. In this blog, we asked the women on our executive team what challenges still lie ahead when it comes to achieving gender equity and how we can work towards achieving it.
Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire.
In 2022, Vena won Comparably Awards for Best Company for Women, Best CEOs for Women, Best Company Work-Life Balance and more.
Now that more and more companies are forcing people back into the office, I fear this will further disproportionately affect women.
Its well documented that the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on women in the workplace. Now that more and more companies are forcing people back into the office, I fear this will further disproportionately affect women. The workplace needs to continue to evolve to fully benefit from the value that women bring to the table. In terms of things that women can control, we need to ask more of our partners, to be truly equal partners. We need to raise our children to become, and expect to be, an equal partner, especially our sons. For those of us in a position to shape environments where women are equally welcome and can thrive, we need to do just that.
Keeping women in the workforce, especially in technology.
I think one of the nearest challenges is keeping women in the workforce, especially in technology. There are alarming statistics coming out about the number of women that are dropping out of the workforce, especially in management roles. We need to pay attention to that and figure out what the root cause is and work to address it.
We need to think about how we make this world a better place for women AND other underrepresented groups.
This is a continuous journey that were on when it comes to equity and we need to continue to drive change, systemic change. The challenges in our society today arent just gender relatedwe need to think about how we make this world a better place for women AND other underrepresented groups.
When we think about gender equity, we still see the bulk of caregiving responsibilities (for children and for aging parents) falling on women. The further up the leadership ladder one climbs, the fewer women one sees. Typical women traditional roles are still valued less in our society. While we continue to make progress, we need to systemically address barriers and biases that impact gender equity and continue to push hard for change.
We need to come to a consensus and commit to driving conversations, priorities and focus, to create change.
We need to know that the past isnt that far behind us and in some places, the inequities we saw, still exist today. The reality is we have not achieved gender equality or equity in the workplace as an industry or within specific professions. We need to come to a consensus and commit to driving conversations, priorities and focus, to create change. As much as that may be a challenge, we all need to continue to create a world that one day promises gender equity and embed that message in every action we take.
With women still taking on a disproportionate share of unpaid care or household work, any hard-fought gains will be illusory at best.
One fundamental challenge to achieving gender equity is the need to do so across multiple fronts, simultaneously, if progress is to be sustained.
For example, a McKinsey article stated that around the world, women do three times as much unpaid care work as men. It also went on to state that 43%of women who are primary household income earners continue to do all or most of the household work, compared to only 12% of men.
DEI initiatives launched by well-meaning employers to recruit, retain and elevate more women in the workplace are an important and necessary step to narrow the gender equity gap. However, without similar attention being applied to address the gender imbalance on the home front, with women still taking on a disproportionate share of unpaid care or household work, any hard-fought gains will be illusory at best. The recent pandemic and its ongoing fallout have made it clear that much work remains to be done.
This concludes our Womens History Month blog series. If youd like to go back and read some of our previous blogs, they can be found here:
What Advice Would 6 Women in the C-Suite Give to Their Younger Selves?
Learn From the Success Habits of 6 Women Executives
How 6 Women Executives Are Helping Their Teams Find Work-Life Balance
How 6 Women Executives Are Creating Safe Workplaces for Women+
Come grow with us! Vena is hiring. We have offices in Toronto, Canada and in London, England. Visit our Careers page for current job openings or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to learn more about life at Vena.
As Vena's DEI Programs Specialist, Candice Leung is a passionate advocate for creating an inclusive and equitable workplace. With her industry experience working in both non-profits and large financial institutions, Candice is driven to foster an environment where everyone—regardless of their differences—feels seen, heard and respected. Her commitment to promoting mental health and encouraging open dialogue around it inspires colleagues and peers alike. When not spearheading positive change, Candice can be found indulging in her love of Disney+ and spending quality time with her furry friend, Willow.
