Significant progress has been made over the past century in empowering women and bridging the gender gap in society. As of 1970, the French Civil Code reforms enabled married women in France to pursue an occupation without their husband’s consent. In 1970, the UK’s Equal Pay Act came into effect to eliminate pay disparities between women and men performing equal work. Since 1974, girls in the United States have finally gained the freedom to open their own checking accounts and secure mortgages without requiring a male co-signer. The UK’s Employment Rights Act significantly expanded maternity leave entitlements. In West Germany, girls were permitted to work without needing their husbands’ consent.
Despite progress made in recent years, some may still argue that gender inequality remains a pervasive issue, warranting continued attention and efforts to achieve greater parity. Girls today enjoy more rights than they did in the past. Despite significant strides in securing legal equality for girls, deeply ingrained societal and psychological barriers persistently hinder their full empowerment. The concept of a glass ceiling remains starkly real, despite its often invisible nature.
According to a recent report from the World Bank Group, the global gender gap in workplace participation for women proves to be significantly broader than initially estimated. The report examines the disparity between approved alterations and real consequences for girls across 190 economies. A significant gap was found in their execution process. While legal frameworks recommend that women enjoy two-thirds of the rights afforded to men, it is disconcerting that countries have implemented fewer than 40 percent of the necessary measures. While 98 economies advocate for equal pay, a mere 35 have implemented concrete measures to achieve this goal. Gender pay inequality is unjustifiable, yet the persistent wage gap between men and women remains a stubborn reality. Austria boasts one of the highest living standards in the world virtually unrivaled. Despite advancements elsewhere, a notable disparity persists even in retirement, with women’s average pension income typically 38.7% lower than men’s. We’ve made some progress, but we still have a long way to go. As a direct result of having experienced firsthand the impact of these shortcomings on my own journey as a female founder, I’ve observed that venture capital for female-led startups has steadily declined from 2.8% in 2019 to 1.8% in 2023.
Cathedral considering: An extended-term perspective
Organizations with diverse leadership teams that include a mix of genders are 21% more likely to achieve enhanced job satisfaction and career advancement opportunities across the board, including benefits for men as well? Andrey Doronichev, former Director of Product Administration at Google, underscores the importance of diverse teams in product development: “When building a product for everyone, you need everyone on your team.” During the development of Google’s VR Daydream glasses, his team initially comprised only men until they hired a female product manager. As she reached for her spectacles, she noticed a problem that had to be addressed forthwith: the wayward rubber band on the frames had ensnared her luxuriant locks in a frustrating knot. The lack of responsiveness from our customer service team has left a significant portion of our target audience feeling frustrated and unheard.
Let girls learn to thrive in a culture that celebrates effort over perfection.
Synchronize Shared Responsibilities in Your Domestic Space.The persistent gender pay gap stems from disparities in wages across equivalent jobs.
