With another International Women’s Day just around the corner, companies have made bold pledges to empower their women workers and strive for equality. Still, in 2021, many women say that their gender is a major barrier to their professional development.
A full third of women in Asia Pacific report that their gender is a significant barrier to opportunity due to the lack of guidance, skills, and time they receive as women. This comes from LinkedIn’s Opportunity Index 2021.
As a result, two in five (41%) female professionals in the region believe they have fewer opportunities for professional development than men.
The report, polling 10,000 workers in Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, shows the persistent barriers women face in their professional development and their impact on society.
10,000 hours | DigitalVision | Getty Images
While seven out of ten respondents said that gender equality is important for a fair society, four in ten said that this is not possible due to fundamental differences between men and women.
Corporations and governments have fought against this narrative. After all, the economy speaks for itself: Higher employment rates for women could increase the gross domestic product of the OECD countries by 6 trillion US dollars.
Gender equality is still not a top 10 priority for 70% of businesses, according to IBM’s new Women, Leadership and Missed Opportunities report. In fact, it turns out that the number of women in management positions has barely changed in the past two years and there are fewer women in the pipeline to fill management positions today than in 2019.
The pandemic has only exacerbated these shortcomings.
PwC’s 2021 Women in Work Index found that progress among women could be back to 2017 levels by the end of the year, as women are said to be harder hit by the pandemic. This is in large part due to the disproportionate burden on childcare by women. Mothers currently spend an average of 31 hours a week on caring tasks – almost equivalent to doing another full-time job.
Still, there are important steps businesses and individuals can take to alleviate this burden.
What women can do to overcome career barriers
Feon Ang, vice president of talent and learning solutions at LinkedIn, advised women to be clear about their ambitions and the professional goals they want to achieve.
“Understanding your personal strengths and your passions is really important,” she told CNBC Make It.
For Ang, that was “the connection between what is happening externally and how it affects your career”. When she realized “everyone was talking about YK2” in 1997 (the year 2000), she began a career in engineering. Seeing the hype surrounding social media in 2013, she joined LinkedIn.
Feon Ang, LinkedIn Vice President, Talent and Learning Solutions for Asia Pacific.
After identifying these goals, women should be open to them and make it clear to business leaders where they want to go, she said. An attorney or sponsor can help and act as a representative or supporter among other high-ranking figures.
“More than just mentoring, you will find people to sponsor, someone who will be committed to helping you move forward,” Ang said.
“Of course, you have to do a good job because no leader will stand up for you, if not. You also have to show your ability to grow and be open-minded. This constant retraining is important for everyone, be it men or women.” added.
What bosses can do to bridge the gender gap
In a blog post, Ang also outlined specific steps bosses and organizations can take to achieve greater equality in the workplace.
- Have conversations about diversity and inclusion – According to LinkedIn, less than a quarter (23%) of Asia Pacific professionals strongly agree that gender diversity is a priority for their organization. Organizations and managers can change this narrative by running workshops on diversity, equity and inclusion and taking advantage of free online training.
- Increase the number of women in leadership positions – In Asia Pacific organizations, women make up an average of only 39% of the workforce. For female executives, this figure is even lower at 30% and below. Companies can reduce this inequality by introducing female management quotas and leadership pipelines for promising young talent.
- Establish family-friendly policies and flexibility programs – Nearly half (45%) of women in Asia Pacific said that managing family responsibilities often impedes their professional development. Organizations can reduce this burden by implementing supportive policies to give parents and carers additional time and flexibility when needed.
- Start mentoring programs and community groups – A lack of career guidance and support is one of the top three hurdles facing working women in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the LinkedIn study. Professional networking groups and mentoring programs can help fill this gap and enable problem sharing and resolution in supportive circles.
- Help women learn new skills and look for opportunities – Women need access to relevant knowledge and experience in order to progress, but lack of skills is seen as one of the main obstacles holding women back. Businesses can help fill this gap by investing in regular learning and development programs to help women stay up to date on their career path.
“There is strength in numbers,” Ang said. “As more organizations come together, we can do more to achieve equitable recovery for all. It always starts with a small step – from promoting open conversation about diversity and equality to advocate practical initiatives from flexible working hours to mentoring programs. “
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