Sarah Vaughan, Founder & Director, Angelica Solutions, shares a heartfelt and thought provoking piece on the importance of accelerating gender parity in the workplace

“This year’s theme for International Women’s Day – Accelerate Action states rather alarmingly that at the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 which is roughly five generations from now to reach full gender parity. Therefore, it’s vital that as an industry we focus on accelerating our efforts to address systemic barriers and biases that women face. We must first identify what these barriers and biases are which are often deeply rooted in societal norms and structures that influence women’s participation and advancement in various fields.

“Understanding the root causes of the under-representation of women, particularly in certain industries and at senior levels, is crucial. For instance, in many STEM subjects, female participation starts to decline as soon as students have elective choices. We need to explore why this happens. Is it cultural, educational, or something else? Does this phenomenon occur globally, or can we draw insight from regions where female representation is more balanced?

“A key part of addressing these issues is listening to women from diverse backgrounds and age groups. Without their voices, we risk making assumptions about what needs to change and possibly losing years pursuing ineffective solutions.

“As a small business founder, I have sought out professionals who I trust will do the job well and part of my team includes two very strong female performers in their fields where they no longer fitted into the corporate structure because of the inflexibility of the roles offered. Diversity of career paths available to women today emphasises the importance of moving beyond traditional work arrangements. Offering flexible roles allows women to balance work and family responsibilities—a crucial factor in retaining and supporting women in the workplace.

“Additionally a simple yet significant step everyone can take is to be mindful of the language we use. Grayson Perry’s ‘The Descent of Man’ highlights how often ‘unisex’ or ‘gender-neutral’ options default to male-centric versions. I’ve consciously tried to use more inclusive language opting for terms like ‘tradesperson’ or ‘person-days’ instead of their gendered counterparts.

“We must also be aware of how our words and actions influence younger generations. Comments said in jest can over time condition children to perceive certain activities as gender specific. As an aunt to seven nieces and six nephews, I’ve noticed my own biases for instance, choosing high adrenaline activities for the boys and more creative pursuits for the girls. It’s important to challenge these ingrained stereotypes within ourselves.

“International Women’s Day acts as a prompt to be more thoughtful and proactive in the fight for gender equality, fostering an environment where everyone, regardless of gender, can thrive”.