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​Women at Work: 5 Ways to Support Women in 2023

Employers can do more to empower their female workforce and ensure gender equality in the office. Here are 5 ways to get started. 

1.      Credit Women

Women typically receive less credit for speaking up in the workplace. Because women are given less credit, and often give themselves less credit, they are less confident in their ability and therefore unlikely to step forward for promotions and challenging assignments. It is important to empower women by actively looking for opportunities to acknowledge their contributions and making sure they get the recognition they deserve for good ideas. 

2.      Provide Equal Mentorship to Women 

The key to supporting equality in the workplace is to give men and women equal opportunities to succeed. On average, women are not afforded the high-quality mentorship that can help them excel in their careers – and are even less likely to be connected to the influential people and key decision-makers that can advocate for them. Many companies with mentorship programs also tend to separate pairs by gender and, in companies with fewer women in senior-level positions, they are often spread too thin to offer mentorship to women in need. 

3.      Adopt a ‘Zero Tolerance’ Approach to Sexual Harassment 

Sexual harassment is still a problem in the workplace. An estimated 75% of all workplace harassment incidents go unreported. Overlooking or mishandling sexual harassment not only affects individuals, but also indicates that the company does not take matters of harassment seriously. Women deserve a safe workplace – one that works to identify, prevent, and act against these types of behaviour. 

4.      Address Your Biases

Many of us have unconscious biases – but it can be difficult to confront them. Often, companies have underlying biases in which policies are skewed to favour men, making it difficult for women to accelerate their career. It is therefore important for a company to re-examine its implicit bias to make fairer decisions and impartial company policies.

5.      Listen to Women

Women deserve to be heard in the workplace. Provide women with an opportunity to raise their voices, consider their opinions, and make sure they are represented in decision-making. If you see others interrupting or undermining women, step in; to be a champion for women, you have to be proactive in calling out negative behaviour. Having open channels of communication and encouraging active participation can unite the workplace, create a welcoming environment, and promote productivity. 

Aldwych Consulting are proud to be a female lead business and are the leading Construction, Property and Engineering recruitment company based in London.