7 Ways Your Business Can Empower Women
By: Lauren Marsicano
Insta: @networkingmaverick
7 Ways Your Business Can Empower Women
Women are sometimes under-represented in certain fields, and are paid less than men on average in the United States. Also, some businesses provide unreasonable maternity leaves, and are not accommodating to women’s workplace needs after childbirth. These facts can make women feel powerless and unappreciated in the workplace. But your business can do things differently.
Here are some ways that your business can make your female employees and leaders feel empowered:
Diversify the leadership within your business.
Hire or promote individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities - with different talents, strengths, and views - to create a strong and diverse leadership team that employees can relate to and with whom they feel comfortable communicating. Let’s remember that diversity does not only refer to gender, but also, factors such as: parent/caregiver status; education; age; disability status; LGBTQ status; veteran; socioeconomic status; among others. Having a diverse array of individuals on your leadership team can make or break a business.
Pay equal salaries.
If two individuals have the same skill set and experience, they should be paid the same regardless of their gender, gender identity, race, religion, and other factors listed in number one above. This makes conversations around salary among employees less stressful, and encourages a culture of equality that ends up creating a more positive corporate culture.
Enact reasonable parental leave.
Mothers and fathers often feel penalized at work for having children, which can lead to fear of losing their job or a decrease in morale. That’s why having a reasonable and equal parental/caregiver leave policy is crucial in hiring and retaining talented team members. Ensure that your parental leave policy is in compliance with the law, and that fathers are offered the same parental leave as mothers.
Create a culture of open communication.
The key to creating a culture of openness within your business is establishing trust between the leadership team and employees, and vice versa. You can do this by being receptive to ideas, complaints, and concerns, without penalizing the team member. Another important aspect of creating an open corporate culture is prompt and accurate communication between the leadership team and employees. This kind of work environment allows for free exchange of ideas and information that benefits the company as a whole.
Invest in enrichment programs.
Employees are looking to advance in their careers, so it will benefit your company to establish some form of educational or enrichment program. Continuing education, a mentorship program, or other career development and education - any and all of these indicate that you’re investing in your employees’ advancement, which makes them more loyal to your business, and increases the likelihood of employee retention. It’s a simple concept, really - the more successful your team is, the more successful your business becomes.
Celebrate women.
When you celebrate women they feel appreciated, and who doesn’t like feeling appreciated? Some holidays that celebrate women in the United States are: Women’s History Month (March); International Women’s Day (March 8); Equal Pay Day (date varies by year); Women’s Equality Day (August 26); Mother’s Day (second Sunday of May); and International Day of the Girl (October 11).
Encourage fundraising or volunteering for causes benefiting women.
Whether it’s sponsoring a non-profit for female entrepreneurs; like Women for Success; or volunteering to collect and distribute feminine hygiene products with your local PERIOD.org chapter; showing employees that your business supports causes that help women, sends the message that women are a valuable asset to your company.
No matter the size of your business, you can enact these tips to make women feel empowered and appreciated in the workplace. If you don’t know where to start, there are diversity and inclusivity consultants that you can hire to make sure you take steps in the right direction. Not only women, but everyone, will benefit from an inclusive and positive company culture.