Last week we hosted an incredible conversation on the challenges—and opportunities—facing women in the workplace today. Inclusion Geeks Co-Founder and Partner Felicia Jadczak facilitated a thoughtful and engaged group of attendees to discuss pay equity, workplace advancement, caregiving responsibilities, and the real structural barriers women continue to face.
We focused on real, tangible solutions that organizations can implement to create lasting change. Here’s a look at the key takeaways from our discussion:
The State of Women in the Workplace
We kicked things off with a reality check on where things stand. While there’s been undeniable progress in the last decade, gender diversity in corporate leadership remains fragile. Women are still underrepresented in management, overrepresented in lower-paying roles, and face a significant drop-off in career advancement.
One of the biggest culprits is the likability vs. competence bias, where women are often penalized for being too assertive but overlooked when they don’t self-promote. We also talked about the myth of meritocracy—success isn’t just about hard work, it’s about access to the right opportunities. Sponsorship, not just mentorship, plays a crucial role in advancing women’s careers.
The Pay Gap: More Than Just a Number
We dove deep into the factors contributing to pay disparities, including:
- Occupational segregation (women being concentrated in lower-paying industries)
- The motherhood penalty (where women’s earnings often take a hit after having children)
- Negotiation bias (women are penalized more than men when advocating for themselves)
- Bias in raises and promotions (subjective performance assessments often favor men)
For women of color, queer women, and women with disabilities, the wage gap is even wider. The reality is stark: at the current pace, white women are on track to reach pay parity in about 22 years—but for women of color, it could take twice as long.
Creating a Better Future: What Needs to Change
What can organizations actually do to change this trajectory? We outlined several strategies:
- Implement pay transparency: Standard salary bands and clear promotion criteria help eliminate guesswork and reduce bias.
- Track and report data: Companies need to hold themselves accountable by measuring progress.
- Educate staff on bias: We all have biases, and that’s normal. The best way to mitigate them at work is to make it okay to explore how biases can show up so that we can all notice and name them as they arise.
- Expand leadership development programs: Women need access to stretch assignments, career development conversations, and sponsorship—not just mentorship.
- Normalize caregiving-friendly policies: Flexible work options, paid family leave, childcare support, and making caregiving responsibilities gender-inclusive are critical to workplace equity.
- Standardize performance evaluations: Reducing subjectivity in assessments ensures that women’s contributions are recognized fairly.
The Role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
ERGs can be powerful tools for community-building, advocacy, and professional development, but they also come with risks—especially as some organizations face lawsuits related to these groups. We discussed the importance of ensuring ERGs focus on supporting employees rather than setting policies and the need for legal guidance to navigate these complexities.
A Call to Action
One of the biggest themes of our conversation is that change doesn’t happen by accident. If organizations want to retain and advance women in the workforce, they need to be proactive. That means making structural shifts, not just offering surface-level solutions.
We wrapped up with an open discussion. It’s clear that while there’s still a long road ahead, conversations like these—and the actions that follow—are how we move forward.