How can the power of one, open the doors for many?

Each of us can change something that helps advance gender equality. #BeTheAnswer this International Women’s Day.

The facts are undeniable. Gender equality has hit a tipping point. It is estimated that closing the gender gap will now take over 135 years, rising from the 99 years previously predicted.¹ Women are leaving the workforce in record, pandemic-fueled numbers. Labor force participation rates for female talent are sliding downward in the face of uneven economic recovery.² While women are more inclined than men to start a business out of economic necessity, they struggle more than their male counterparts to grow and scale their ventures.³ The last 24 months have taken a toll on everything, from earning potential to work-life harmony and mental health. All of this is compounding a pre-COVID-19 reality in which women were already more likely than men to pursue university or tertiary education — but less likely to study the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects that now dominate the future of work.⁴

There is no single approach to close gender gaps. We need actions, driven by a multitude of engaged and enabled stakeholders. The more I look around, the more confident I am. Sustained progress requires both systemic change and everyday action. I am continuously moved and motivated by the women and men I see connecting the two.

I’d like to highlight four individuals who are making a real difference in the world today through their words, actions and commitments.

• Annabelle Williams, Order of Australia (OAM), Paralympian, lawyer and advocate is creating better organizations focused on empathy and kindness. She encourages others to “see who you can carry up the stairs.”
• Theresa Harrison, EY’s Environmental, Social and Governance Procurement Leader, drives our efforts to create opportunities for diverse suppliers around the world to join EY’s supply chain or other multi-national corporations. She implores, “don’t wait for opportunities. Make them. Bring others with you.”
• Dr. Kiran Mamzudar-Shaw’s unfailing courage to view society as it should be and not be limited by the stereotypes of today leads her to develop new and innovative health solutions for women and other vulnerable groups. She believes, “innovation is about both doing different things as well as doing things differently.”
• Trent Henry, EY’s Global Vice Chair of Talent, demonstrates how to speak for the voices that aren’t being heard by being a reliable, trusted ally through active listening, seeking different perspectives  and acting when action is needed.

Each of these role models — and so many like them — are propelling policies, programs and initiatives that foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive world. Importantly, they bolster those big-picture efforts with simple yet deliberate actions and choices. This critical balance is what we need most of all.

We’ve long known that organizations with policies allowing and encouraging flexibility, as well as alternatives to traditional career paths, are better able to retain women. For years, the Scully effect (the increased interest of young women and girls in STEM in the 1990s as a result of the female X-Files character, Scully, a medical doctor and scientist) has reinforced that when we generate greater visibility of female role models in STEM fields, we can cultivate change. At EY, we’ve built on those findings with intention, developing programs and a global ecosystem of women entrepreneurs, women leaders and next-gen female talent.