Three Barriers to Women’s Progression – What organisations can do
This second edition white paper examines the Three Barriers to Women’s Progression and what organisations can do to break through those barriers. Drawing on over 70 studies, we look at what is preventing women from being represented equally at senior leadership levels and discuss what organisations can to do dismantle these barriers.
The Three Barriers refers to the Societal, Organisational and Personal forces that can stand in the way of gender equality. Societal Barriers are the subtle and often unspoken cultural cues and messages that reinforce the ways that men and women ‘should’ think, behave and feel. Organisational Barriers relates to the hurdles experienced in the workplace, a combination of systemic obstacles, cultures and norms which disadvantage women. Personal Barriers covers a diverse range of issues, including how women present in the workplace and how they manage the work-family interface. With a clear view of how these factors create inequality, organisations can build effective and sustainable EDI transformation programmes to counteract these barriers and accelerate gender parity.