5 Ways Companies Can Support Gender Equity Beyond Women’s Equality Day
Yesterday marked Women’s Equality Day, but gender equity can't be reduced to a single day on the calendar. While we’ve made progress, systemic barriers, societal expectations, and assumptions often hold women, especially women of color, back from achieving full parity in the workplace. Lasting change requires more than statements, hashtags, and social media posts. Change requires intentional, measurable actions that close gaps, elevate women into leadership roles, and dismantle inequitable systems from the inside out.
Today we’re bringing you five practical strategies to help your organization move beyond performative measures and into change that is sustainable, achievable, and works towards ensuring women truly thrive in their roles.
While we use the term women throughout this piece, we’re referring to all women, including transgender women, women of color, women with disabilities, and others whose experiences are too often excluded from broader workplace conversations.
1. Audit Pay Equity Regularly
Pay inequity remains one of the most persistent workplace challenges within nearly every industry, with women continuing to earn less than their male counterparts.
In 1982, women earned 65 cents to each dollar earned by men
In 2024, this number has increased to 82 cents for each dollar earned by men
For additional perspective, in 2002 women earned 80 cents to every dollar earned by men. That means that within the past 22 years, the gap has barely increased.
And this number is much higher in women of color:
Latinas earn 51 cents to every dollar
Black women earn 64 cents to every dollar
Native American women earn 52 cents for every dollar
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander women earn 83 cents for every dollar
With these stats in mind, pay inequity clearly remains one of the most persistent workplace challenges, and one of the clearest indicators of systemic inequality. These disparities are not just about starting salaries either, they compound over time through unequal raises, limited access to bonuses, and fewer opportunities for advancement.
One way is to conduct a pay equity audit. However, it is important to continue to review the compensation and pay structures regularly to uncover additional inequities within policies and practices. Transparency is key here: share your findings; communicate your organization’s approach to equitable pay builds; and demonstrate a genuine commitment to gender equity.
2. Invest in Leadership Development for Women
Representation matters.
Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it drives tangible results across organizations. Research shows that with at least 30% women in leadership roles are 12 times more likely to be in the top 20% for financial performance. Additional data reports that female leaders often show up more effectively across all management levels.
So why do women only hold 30.6% of leadership positions?
Despite earning the majority of university degrees and entering the workforce at comparable rates to men, women are consistently overlooked for promotions and executive opportunities. And barriers come in a variety of ways, like:
Limited access to membership
Unconscious bias in hiring, performance reviews, and promotions
But here’s the upside: leadership development works. Organizations that invest in mentorship programs, sponsorship initiatives, and tailored leadership programs create pathways for women to step into executive and influential roles.
This isn’t about “fixing women” either. Rather, it’s about redesigning systems to remove structural barriers and make advancement more equitable for all.
3. Normalize Inclusive Workplace Policies
Rigid workplace policies and structures often disproportionately impact women. Flexibility shouldn’t just be a perk in that case; it’s an equity issue. This includes policies like hybrid work arrangements, equitable parental leave, and intensive return-to-work programs that aim to reduce burnout, increase retention, and create a culture where employees feel they can transition back to the office without too much disruption.
It’s also worth noting that all women, whether they are caregivers or not, could benefit from additional flexibility at work.
On average, women spend twice as much time as men on childcare and household work, including working women.
Married women without children still spend approximately 2.4 times as much as their male counterparts on household work.
This equals out to women having 13% less free time than men. This causes burnout, mental health challenges, and more, and often leaves women with less time to focus on themselves and their needs.
4. Address Hiring and Promotion Biases
Bias isn’t just creeping into the small cracks. As most things, it’s systemic.
In the article “Why Passion Helps Men Get Ahead and Holds Women Back” cites that men are 20-30% more likely to be deemed “high potential” within leadership programming, while women are penalized for showing the same passion. Additionally, it is perceived as being inappropriate in women, even if they are higher performers. That means that the unequal head start is baked into the system directly.
To prevent biases from seeping into these systems, whether in hiring or promoting, try these:
Blind screening and structured interviews to reduce bias.
Diverse panels for hiring and promoting.
Assess your workplace regularly for biases and barriers.
5. Be Consistent
Ultimately, equity work is a marathon, not a sprint. Inclusivity isn’t just a checkbox, but rather stabilizes growth, resilience, and innovation.
Consistency matters because trust is built over time, and employees always notice when commitments are treated like one-off initiatives or performative moments, and that erodes your credibility.
In contrast, organizations embed ongoing equity efforts, they will create environments where all employees thrive, feel safe, and want to be at work and excel in their roles.
Think of consistency as a compounding impact: small, intentional actions taken regularly and meaningfully. Set clear goals, revisit and reevaluate them often, and share your progress even when there’s still work to be done.
Final Thoughts
Real equity isn’t built overnight, it’s built every day, often in small steps. By committing to intentional, ongoing work, organizations can create workplaces where women don’t just participate, but lead, thrive, and succeed.
The changes you make today set the stage for the leaders of tomorrow.
FAQ: A Quick Guide to Gender Equity
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Gender equality is providing the same resources for everyone, regardless of gender.
Gender equity recognizes that systemic barriers exist, focusing on fairness by providing support, policies, and resources to achieve equal outcomes.
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Other than simply earning less, pay inequity compounds over time. It doesn’t just affect women today, but affects everything from lifetime earnings to retirement savings. These disparities reinforce significant inequities across generations of women, especially women of color.
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At the top! Leadership sets the tone for everyone else. So conduct pay equity audits, evaluate biases and promotion pathways, and integrate gender equity into strategic planning and performance metrics.
For an even deeper impact, consider inclusive leadership training that equips managers and executives to drive change sustainably.
