With a resurgence of Black Lives Matter, continued focus on the Me Too movement, and changes in how we define and see “gender,” I felt I would need to apologize for writing about garden variety gender bias and discrimination. So I didn’t. This is the final blog for DifferenceWORKS. Thanks to all who read some of my 276 blogs. I wish great success to those still working for equity and inclusion.
Why might the message about the value of diversity not be heard? Why might leaders hear it but not buy it? Why do men who do buy it not take effective action? These are not rhetorical questions. I have some ideas but I want your thoughts.
Yes, there is progress in seeing more women at leadership levels in business; but the pace remains glacial. We need to understand the reasons at the deepest level – so we can pick up the pace and capture the known benefits. I was invited to post a blog on the London School of Economics Business Review. I used the opportunity to express my thoughts on the root cause. I hope you’ll read it!
Last week Denver hosted the first ever symposium on this topic, Impact Investing with a Gender Lens. Attendees were people either expert, interested or involved in some facet of supporting women. I learned about firms that bring pressure on companies to have women on boards, companies that screen investments based on gender diversity criteria and sustainable investing funds. The symposium widened my lens, but I still see unconscious gender bias as a key element of making a reality of gender diversity at all levels of business – and achieving gender balance throughout the world.
I periodically update the research that forms the business case for gender balance at the leadership level. Here is my latest update. I review studies showing the business benefit of diversity and inclusion generally. Gender diversity brings all these benefits and more.
