GH5050 summary findings on workplace gender policies
Organisations aren’t doing nearly enough to support gender equality in the workplace.
Within global health organisations, gender inequalities continue to define and drive career pathways and opportunities. Women’s under-representation in management and leadership positions often results from a lack of interventions to foster a supportive organisational culture for all staff and to support women’s career pathways, particularly at key transition points (e.g. at motherhood or times of other caring roles). This is often compounded by the lack of progressive social policies in society at large, such as paid parental leave, access to affordable child care and free education, and lack of male contribution to unpaid domestic and care work.
Increasing gender diversity across management and leadership leads to increased productivity, innovation and financial performance, and more women in power improves the working environment for all staff. Research has continually shown that companies with more women in management have fewer instances of sexual harassment.
Yet the number of organisations reviewed that have specific measures in place to achieve a gender-balanced workplace is surprisingly low.
