Women’s History Month
Supporting the Women in Your Organization
During the month of March, we celebrate, support, and honor women intentionally. All year long, women get overshadowed and pushed aside, regardless of the ripples of impact they create simply by showing up.
This month, we go beyond the pats on the back and comped luncheons and go straight to the kind of support that uplifts and empowers women long term.
We often hear about the proven wage gap that pays women a fraction of their male counterparts, but the gaps go further than salary.
There are also gaps in:
- Leadership – Despite women breaking records in leadership last year, 90% of Fortune 500 companies are led by men.
- Perception – Women that lead with confidence are twice as likely to be branded as “bossy” as their male counterparts.
- Representation – Young women entering the workplace want role models and mentors that they can emulate — but for every 100 men promoted from entry level to manager, only 87 women were promoted (with an even wider gap for women of color).
- Accessibility – From deal making on the golf course to inhospitable office temperatures, the gender divide manifests in seemingly small instances that add up to huge consequences.
We can absolutely take the time to actively work toward closing these gaps. Not just in March, but all year round, and in the years moving forward.
Honor Women’s History By Changing Women’s Futures
Honor the women in your organization beyond a one-day celebration. Take this entire month to truly recognize what they’re doing.
Do you have women providing solutions within your organization? Take the money they may be saving you to honor them with a bonus. Do you have women who are working beyond their job description? Re-evaluate their compensation to reflect their actual workload. Do you have women working on integral parts of projects? Make sure their names are listed in credits so that your clients and the people you work with know the names of those who directly helped them.
Consider what you’re paying your people in the same roles. Chances are, you may have hired a woman under one salary and in the exact same position, a man with a whole different (and larger) paycheck.
Historically, men have been taught to ask for more money while women believe they need to prove their worth so the money will come later. They may not ask for more money outright, and instead work harder by taking on extra tasks — bringing the work home, cutting breaks short to “get ahead,” and quietly plugging in on projects that need an extra set of hands. The result is that their already lower pay manifests at an even lower rate because they’re working twice as hard as their male counterparts.
Bring their pay up to at least the same amount as the men they’re sitting next to. Encourage longer breaks. And don’t allow their workload to spill over into unpaid overtime.
Partnering with an organization like Culture Refinery for a culture audit and strategy consultation can give you actionable guidance to bridge this divide, and provide vital support for the implementation of these crucial changes.
Be intentional about making both the pay and the work more even.
Provide Scholarships for the women in your organization to attend professional development sessions. Organizations like ours specialize in uplifting and supporting women in their professional roles through programs like Cultivate Leaders, offering the opportunity to explore how to navigate the waters of their profession and be more efficient at the work they do, all while refining what they want their career to look like long term.
Prove to your women that you’re invested in them by literally investing in their future ultimately creating role models for the women behind them to reach their own goals in their careers.
Bridging the Gender Gap Long Term
We all know about the wage gap in the professional world. But the reality is that the gender gap is much bigger. We want to work together to bridge that gap and make professional careers not only possible but a strength for women everywhere.
To do so, we need to support women professionals on a large scale. Give them credit for everything they do, especially when their male counterparts are getting the shoutouts instead. Provide tools for them to do the work necessary, instead of silently allowing them to take on more tasks that aren’t in their job description.
Time to Take Action
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support the women on your staff long-term, we would love to talk with you. A woman-owned organization, Culture Refinery provides tailored professional development programs and strategic consultations to help women and other marginalized leaders excel.
We offer vibrant learning labs on Personal Branding Strategy that can be transformative for your Women ERG’s, available both virtually or in person. We can also help facilitate a fireside chat, women’s circle round table, or panel with women leaders to spark an engaging discussion around the key issues women face in the workplace and the ways we can all contribute to ensure the women in your organization thrive.
And in the month of March, we’re also offering a exceptional opportunity to select one of our customized leadership development workshops, usually only available as part of full program or series, to bring to your organization at a special March-only rate.
Let Culture Refinery help you find the solutions for you to close the gap of gender inequity in your organization.
