n the past five years, thanks to the rise in the Time’s Up and Me Too movements, workplaces have had many conversations about harassment and equality. But has anything really changed for women? Women don’t get as much recognition as men do in the workplace, a clear indication, there needs to be a change. There is a lot of inequality between men and women professionals. 

Based on a study by McKinsey and Company and the Lean In organization, “Women in the Workplace” which analyzed more than 68,500 employees to make conclusions about the state of women in corporate America from 329 different organizations, employing 13 million people, between May and August 2019. The survey concluded that women are making progress in the C-Suite thanks to many companies that have three or more women in those senior-level positions. 

However, despite the progress, there is still a lot more to do to make sure all women are well-represented in the workforce. We still see this issue with women of color. They are underrepresented at every level of business. While one in five C-suite executives is a woman, only one in 25 is a woman of color. There are clear and persistent gender gaps to address. At every level of promotion, there is a huge disparity when it comes to women of color.

Here is what we can do to fill in these gaps. 

• Accept Individuality. As we all know, we are all different no matter what, and accepting the differences in your team will enhance positivity and make women feel more comfortable and equal.
• Provide Equal Pay. Women get paid less than men, Fixing pay to be equal for all women will eliminate this issue.
• Acknowledge there may be Sexism in the workplace. The faster you accept it, the faster you get to work on what actions you must take to fix it. One way is to advocate is to listen to what women have to say, make their voices heard. Listening to women and making sure they are heard brings ease to them as they don’t feel they are not good enough.
• Provide Flexible Schedules. Women need flexible schedules because they may play several roles in their lives.
• Provide Leadership Opportunities. Because some managers may still have the belief that men are better for leadership and/or that women aren’t interested in that sort of thing is a big problem. Women are interested in raises, promotions, and they deserve the opportunity to prove themselves.
• Recognize Their Success. Recognize women’s success no matter how big or small.