📰 1LV Round up: As we start a new year, we reflect on some of the articles, interviews and news that made the headlines – and made us think – about gender equality and women in the workplace. ⬇️
Whilst the gender pay gap widened for the first time in a decade, and workplace discrimination against women reached a three-year high, there were also advances for women in the workplace in 2024. The number of women in senior leadership has steadily increased over the past decade according to the Women in the Workplace 2024 Report. At One Loud Voice (1LV) we launched our WE+ brand. At the heart is the WE+ Measure, which is about best practice metrics and allows organisations to measure their gender equity inputs against established best practices that achieve gender equality outputs. Here’s to more progress for women in – and out of – the workplace in 2025.
Women who made 2024
The Financial Times has celebrated 25 of the world’s most influential women. Their list – which is unranked – is a global mix that includes women from business, politics, music and the arts. Among them are Ruth Porat president and chief investment officer of Google, Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, and Kamala Harris. Influential women wrote about the new list of influential women.
Sheryl Sandberg, the founder of Lean In and former COO of Meta, celebrated musician and songwriter Taylor Swift as ‘a mastermind who has upended an industry’.
Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and founder of Pivotal Ventures, wrote about Fei-Fei Li – ‘one of the most important leaders on artificial intelligence on the world today’. She added: ‘Not only did she help develop AI as we know it, but she is leading the charge to make sure it’s used to advance human dignity’.
And Sharon White, former chair of the John Lewis Partnership, said of LSE chief Julia Hoggett: ‘She gives hope and optimism to women and gay people everywhere that you can be an outstanding leader and be yourself.’
The sticky floor keeps women grounded
At One Loud Voice we have a focus on the sticky middle and the talent pipeline to senior roles. But a report by the Young Women’s Trust suggests the talent pipeline could be blocked even earlier for women. According to its research, there is a gulf of financial confidence between young women (aged 18-30) and young men that leaves one in four clinging to jobs they don’t enjoy. Claire Reindorp, chief executive of Young Women’s Trust, said: ‘The problem for young women is the sticky floor. [At a young age women] get sorted into retail, care, hospitality and into low pay – and they can’t get out of it.’
The report findings also included:
• 41% of young women said their financial situation had worsened over the previous 12 months, compared with 27% of young men
• 32% of young women said their hopes for the future had worsened over the same period, compared with 25% of young men
Women in the world
In the UK we focus on achieving equality for women in the workplace. In other parts of the world, there are other issues that take priority. Researchers, including those from the University of Cambridge, argued that more needs to be done to mitigate the impacts of climate change on women, girls and gender-diverse individuals. Whilst climate governance is dominated by men, the health impacts of the climate crisis affect women disproportionately. The reasons are complex and have their roots in the past, such as women are less likely to own land and resources to protect them in post-disaster situations. They are particularly at risk from climate-related threats to their health. High temperatures have been linked to adverse birth outcomes such as spontaneous preterm births and birth defects. Studies also highlight an increase in gender-based violence during or after extreme climate events.
How the 1LV WE+ Measure is impacting women in the workplace
A commitment to gender equality is one of the WE+ Measure Goals. The One Loud Voice WE+ brand is all about Women and Equality and so much more. The three core pillars of work are: WE+ Measure, which is all about best practice metrics; WE+ Engagement, which is about gender partnerships; and WE+ Support which is advisory and coaching. The WE+ Measure allows organisations to measure their gender equity inputs against established best practices that achieve gender equality outputs. It benefits the organisation and the women who work there. It’s game changing. To find out more visit https://www.oneloudvoice.co.uk/benchmark
History footnote…
2025 marks 100 years since the Law of Property Act allowed women to hold and dispose of property on the same terms as men.
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