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Gender Equity at the Core of Business Development

By Michelle Ferrari - Great Place to Work® Mexico
CEO

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By Michelle Ferrari | Director General - Thu, 03/16/2023 - 10:30

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The month of March commemorates the struggle of women for their participation in society, giving visibility to the importance of empowering women in all environments, and ensuring that they can have full development as individuals.

However, in Mexico there is still a great challenge to make progress on women's issues. The narrative of gender equality and labor inclusion is used in all industries and sectors, in a large number of global or regional companies, in the internal and external policies of each organization, but the important thing is not only to have them on a sign at the front desk of the office or in internal monthly communication mailings. For companies to see growth in all areas, they have to lead initiatives that allow them to be inclusive, empowered and equitable, as well as create strategies that promote diversity and inclusion, which will allow them to generate sustainable development in all their production chains.

This month, we will award the Best Companies to Work for Women™, for the great work they have done to offer work cultures in which gender equality and diversity are promoted and acted upon. At Great Place To Work® we believe that diversity and inclusion increase the innovative potential and performance of individuals and organizations. We will also present within Great Culture to Innovate® our "Women In Innovation" award to those organizations that have driven strategies, policies and practices to put at the center of the conversation when innovating, a gender perspective that allows finding inclusive and agile solutions. Both awards will take place within the framework of the Women Economic Forum 2023, which will be held on March 21 and 22 in Mexico City. 

Through our network of organizations, we seek to build bridges to close the gender gap that, although it has diminished in recent years, is still latent in our country and the region.

Companies have to lead the change in the mindset, that beyond being corporate reputational strategies that will help them to gain  better positioning externally, the possibility of making a difference and transforming the world into a better place for future generations is in their hands. 

In the case of the awarded companies, all of them strive to offer better working conditions for women. In fact, for an organization to be certified as a GPTW®, it has to obtain a Trust Index of more than 70% from its employees, so we focus our methodology on evaluating long-term actions of the companies, which ensure that they will develop inclusive environments. On the other hand, from GCTI® we measure through our methodology the effective diversity that allows the organizations' associates to raise their voices when proposing innovations in favor of their companies and clients.

Although only 3 out of 10 organizations in our country are intentionally inclusive, our lists show a very different picture, making their leaders an inspiration for the community and the country.

The development of inclusive environments in corporations has to be done from the roots, with a strategy focused on the recognition of biases and vulnerabilities within companies as well as knowing how to read, listen to and get acquainted with their associates, to promote the maximum development of their capabilities and improve their performance in all aspects.

In the global workplace, we often hear the term "glass ceiling" used to refer to the hidden limitation of women's advancement within organizations, often dominated by men, which leads to the imposition of gender barriers just because they are women. This expression or term has been used for 45 years. Although, over the years, there has been a remarkable evolution with the arrival of more women in leadership positions in the public and business sectors, progress is still needed to connect with the basic needs of people to create healthy and purposeful work environments.

According to the report "Women on Boards: a Global Perspective," by the consulting firm Deloitte in 2022, on average 19.7% of management positions globally are held by women, only 2.8 percentage points up from 2018. If this gradual growth continues, we could expect to reach gender equity in work environments by 2045.

In the case of Mexico, there is 9.7% participation of women on boards of directors. Considering average growth rates, in Mexico we would not reach an equitable scheme until 2060. 

There is still a long way to go in the country, and it is important for  companies to become aware that they should not only have women for the sake of having women on their boards and in management positions, but that there must be a strategic analysis of human talent and a choice of profiles with all the capabilities and potential to develop and perform their duties according to their experience and talent.

From my point of view, the fact that a woman is at the head of the organization, ratifies the intention of making diversity and inclusion a strategy to be fulfilled in the Mexican labor market.

Photo by:   Michelle Ferrari

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