In no country on earth are women equal to men. Not one. Not by any measure – World Economic Forum, United Nations, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and more.
In fact, in North America, it will take 158 years until we reach gender equality if our pace and urgency don’t change.
If gender equality is the vision, gender equity is the path.
“Gender equality, equality between men and women…does not mean that women and men have to become the same, but that their rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different, but which is considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations, and opportunities.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESDOC)
The gender equality conversation plays out across every aspect of life; however, the aspects tend to converge in one arena: the workplace. Women are leaving the workforce in significant numbers, and by the U.S. Bureau of Labor projections, we will continue to see a decline in the labor force participation of women for the next seven years. Why are they leaving?