Myths and Obstacles Hindering Women’s Progress
Additionally, CEOs and senior executives are invited to explore a new, practical self-help tool, available free of charge, designed to quickly assess whether their organization has implemented relevant gender diversity programs, based on the “Six Actions That Work” to accelerate gender equality.
The publication “Myths and Obstacles Hindering Women’s Progress” includes:
- 8 myths examined
- 4 testimonials from CEOs
- 1 self-assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of corporate gender diversity measures
Eight Myths Debunked by Experts
Given the slow pace of change, we wanted to understand the persistent myths that may be hindering companies’ efforts to promote gender diversity.
After gathering input and insights from experts, we decided to analyze eight specific myths:
- Myth #1: “Women have less ambition or lack ambition altogether.”
- Myth #2: “Motherhood is incompatible with leadership roles.”
- Myth #3: “The invisible woman” or “We can’t find competent female candidates in the talent pool.”
- Myth #4: “Women are afraid of taking risks.”
- Myth #5: “Part-time work is incompatible with leadership roles.”
- Myth #6: “Gender inequalities primarily occur at the top of the corporate ladder.”
- Myth #7: “Some jobs are meant for men.”
- Myth #8: “Quotas are not merit-based, are unfair to men, and risk placing incompetent women in key positions.”
Accelerating Gender Equality: Where Should Leaders Start?
When it comes to diversity, it has been demonstrated that the number of measures taken is far less important than the relevance of these measures in achieving progress. Therefore, companies must address persistent biases and understand whether their initiatives are the “right ones” to achieve sustainable gender equity.
The Gender Equality Observatory collaborated with its members to identify six actions proven effective in accelerating gender diversity within companies. Forvis Mazars, as a partner of the Observatory, leveraged these actions and co-developed a self-assessment tool for CEOs and executive teams: a concrete, educational, and practical checklist in the form of a questionnaire that allows organizations to quickly evaluate whether they have implemented all the “right actions”—those proven effective in fostering gender equity.
It is available online here.
