Accelerating Action on Gender Equality

This underscores the need for swift and decisive actions to achieve gender equality, emphasising the requirement for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women encounter in both personal and professional contexts. It is crucial to acknowledge these barriers persist. 

To commemorate International Women's Day, the Odgers gender allies group, chaired by Alex Albone, Principal, Education Practice at Berwick Partners, organised a panel discussion centred around the theme of “Accelerating Action.” The panel featured female leaders discussing various challenges faced by women throughout their careers and strategies for navigating these challenges. The panellists included: Kim Pritchard, Head of Coaching Diversity and Inclusion at the Very Group; Stephanie Foxley, Digital & Marketing Consultant and Director of The Working Mums Club; Catherine Oliver, Founder & Author of 'Working Parents-to-be'; and Sarah Shaw, Partner and Head of Education Practice at Odgers Interim. 

Supporting Women's Workforce Progress 

Kim explained the Very Group have made strides in creating a culture for women to stay and advance, but that challenges remain: “We look at this from a macro inclusion perspective. Two key pillars of our strategy focus on data and education. When it comes to data, we focus on collecting demographic data to better understand how representative we are and identify any potential gaps. Education, on the other hand, spans a wide range of initiatives—from e-learning modules and immersive sessions with our leadership teams to own our panel discussions”. 

Very has launched several group coaching initiatives as well as a ‘Women in Leadership’ apprenticeship programme all of which have gained positive feedback from colleagues who have felt supported, inspired and confident. 

Catherine Oliver highlighted she has witnessed similarly encouraging results from her own experience: "Establishing formal frameworks such as sponsorship programmes which include active advocacy and mimic processes which tend to happen more naturally for men can significantly accelerate progress". 

The panellists also echoed the many benefits of mentoring programmes, including reciprocal mentoring, to foster understanding and leadership development with the aim of helping senior leaders and underrepresented groups share experiences and support each other's growth.

Return to Work Challenges 

The discussion moved to the challenges women face when returning to work after starting a family, particularly around childcare. Stephanie Foxley highlighted the "Working Mums Club" project, which aims to provide flexible childcare solutions alongside co-working spaces. The project seeks to address logistical and cost issues, offering three-hour booking increments for childcare to accommodate working mothers' needs. 

Stephanie commented: "One of the leading points that's talked about is cost, and that is certainly a factor, but it's actually not necessarily just about costs. Availability and flexibility are also big factors with childcare and provision at the moment as well. We're testing the idea of providing a co-working space physically alongside fresh childcare space staffed by fully-qualified childcare providers". 

Shifting Cultural Attitudes 

Additionally, 11% requested workplace adjustments to accommodate their symptoms. Among those who did not seek such adjustments, many cited stigma as the primary reason for their reluctance. 

Sarah Shaw, Partner and Head of Education Practice at Odgers Interim, highlighted that this period of a woman's life can create barriers to equity in the workplace. She examined whether there are any areas of good practice: “Menopause can create challenges in the workplace due to lack of awareness, stigma, ageism, and inadequate policies. At Odgers, we have addressed these issues by formalising a menopause policy, creating a menopause passport for workplace adjustments, and establishing a network of menopause ambassadors. Additionally, they provide informational resources and organise events to educate and support employees. Effective communication is essential to improving the experience of menopausal women and assisting candidates who may be on their menopause journey to navigate successfully through recruitment processes.” 

Engaging Men in Gender Equality 

Engaging men in gender equality was key for both the panellists and audience, which was approximately 50% male. "What's really, really important for us is to bring men on the journey, for them to be allies, but also for them to help us be part of the solution", added Kim. 

Catherine said the most important way to engage men on this agenda is raising awareness of both the challenges and the benefits: “Starting with challenges, I often hear men saying they don't feel informed enough to comment or are fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing so they say nothing - and often appreciate this is not great either. They are also often surprised by some of the challenges - it may not occur to them because they might not be facing the same challenges. Raising awareness is not only helpful to women in acknowledging these challenges exist, but also to men in feeling more equipped to have a voice and support the women in their lives. 

“Raising awareness of the benefits to the business of a more gender balanced business (such as avoiding groupthink) and also the benefits to men themselves - a more equal workplace doesn't just benefit women but men too - taking parental leave, working flexibly etc all become more acceptable for men, as they should be, and less of a female issue”. 

Emphasising the importance of inclusion and respect in diversity initiatives, the panellists highlighted their strides towards achieving gender equality at higher levels. They discussed the role of ally groups in addressing various employee challenges and underscored their significance in fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace culture. We would like to thank all panellists and attendees of the webinar for their engagement and contributions to the discussion. 

___________________________________________________________ 

  
Get in touch. Follow the links below to discover more, or contact our dedicated leadership experts from your local Odgers Berndtson office here.