Gender and Generations: Bridging Divides and Fostering Inclusive Workplaces

Gender and Generations: Bridging Divides and Fostering Inclusive Workplaces

In celebration of this year's International Women’s Day, the United Nations theme 'Invest in women: Accelerate progress,’ calls upon us to reflect on the important strides made toward gender equality in our workplaces, as well as the continued efforts required for achieving parity.  

Current Patterns in Gender Inclusivity

Despite progress, persistent challenges remain in achieving gender equity in the workplace. In particular, we are seeing significant differences in beliefs and values between genders within Generation Z.  A recent report by The Financial Times highlights a growing ideological gap between young men and women, which poses new obstacles to previous efforts for inclusivity.

‘Tens of millions of people who occupy the same cities, workplaces, classrooms and even homes no longer see eye-to-eye.’ (Financial times, 2024).

Generation Z has been dubbed ‘the most diverse generation in the workforce’ who are ‘increasingly demanding diversity and inclusion in the workplace.’^[1] However, findings from King’s College London’s Policy Institute and Global Institute for Women’s Leadership in partnership with Ipsos UK, shows boys and men from Generation Z are more likely than Baby Boomers to believe that ‘feminism has done more harm than good’.

“In some cases young men today are no more supportive of action on gender equality than older men, despite their generally being more socially liberal, and that young men tend to be more worried about the challenges facing men.^[2]” (London Kings Collage 2024)

With five generations now in the workforce between the ages of 16 and 75^[3], effective management of inter-generational and gender dynamics is vital. Each generation brings its own distinctive contributions to the workplace environment. Misconceptions about Generation Z being ‘entirely inclusive’ could lead to inaccurate representations of our future workforce.  Leaders need to be aware of this generational and gender divide and take proactive steps to promote and nurture an inclusive environment.

Understanding and addressing these diverging views requires increased investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, including more education and dialogue on the differing gender and generational values. To achieve this, consider offering professional development opportunities, sponsorship, and allyship programs. These initiatives encourage mutual understandings amongst people of different backgrounds, which is crucial for leveraging diversity, and in turn collective success.

"We can’t rest on our laurels and what has been achieved so far. There is a need for ongoing commitment to deliver on gender equality and embed active inclusion at all levels within our businesses."- Liz Pawson Poon, DE&I Consultant

 

Transformative Change

At Charlotte Sweeney Associates, we have had the privilege of collaborating with and witnessing transformative changes in our clients' organisations, particularly in fostering gender equity and inclusive cultures. One of our talent programmes delivered recently, incorporated a blend of skills development, networking, sponsorship and coaching. Intersectionality was crucial to the success of the initiative – coaching was tailored to ensure maximum impact for diverse participants.  

It was clear from the outset that the talent programme was not about ‘fixing women’ but creating the culture and environment that empowers all employees by understanding diversity and supporting development opportunities for everyone equitably. The programme demonstrated its success as a career acceleration tool, resulting in 47% promotions among the pilot group within 2 years of attending, and additional advancements are still ongoing.

Testimonials from participants underscore the impact of our initiatives in promoting gender diversity and fostering an inclusive environment.

"Helped me find the courage to be proud of what I have to offer and to put it in the business context too”

“The Barriers and Enablers was an extremely fantastic session for me. I was able to reflect on my enablers and reset my work style to be efficient. Using the guidance from the coaching session, I identified ways to deal with them without impacting on my deliverables whilst taking care of my well being.”

Tangible initiatives such as this are integral to the success of gender equity in the workplace. Similar programmes will continue to create sustainable cultures and environments that empower all employees and ensure gender equality is furthered in their organisations.

As we reflect on International Women's Day and its significance in advancing gender equity, it serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing need to champion diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Through collaborative efforts and proactive initiatives, we can bridge generational divides, address persistent challenges, and foster inclusive environments where all individuals are empowered to thrive.

 

Sources:

https://www.ft.com/content/29fd9b5c-2f35-41bf-9d4c-994db4e12998

https://www.betterup.com/blog/generations-in-the-workplace#:~:text=As%20of%202023%2C%20there%20are.

https://www.weforum.org/videos/1-in-2-gen-z-ers-won-t-work-in-a-place-without-diverse-leadership/#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20is%20the%20most.

https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/masculinity-and-womens-equality-study-finds-emerging-gender-divide-in-young-peoples-attitudes.

 

[1] World Economic Forum. (2023). Gen Z Demands Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. [online] Available at: https://www.weforum.org/videos/1-in-2-gen-z-ers-won-t-work-in-a-place-without-diverse-leadership/#:~:text=Gen%20Z%20is%20the%20most.

 

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[2] London, K.C. (n.d.). Masculinity and women’s equality: study finds emerging gender divide in young people’s attitudes. [online] King’s College London. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/masculinity-and-womens-equality-study-finds-emerging-gender-divide-in-young-peoples-attitudes.

 

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[3] Perry, E. (2023). 5 Generations in the Workplace: Differences and How to Manage Them. [online] www.betterup.com. Available at: https://www.betterup.com/blog/generations-in-the-workplace#:~:text=As%20of%202023%2C%20there%20are.

 

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