Via The Representation Project
In honor of #WomenEmpowerWomenWednesday, #SmarterWorkplaceAwarenessMonth and the #SorryI’mNotSorry movement, it’s important to recognize the necessity of empowering women in the workplace. Unfortunately, women face discrimination, inequality, harassment and health and safety concerns in the workplace. However, when businesses empower their employees, it can benefit them in numerous ways including increased profits, employee satisfaction and well-being, retention, creativity, diversity and company culture. By implementing empowerment programs, utilizing women’s skills and hiring more women in leadership positions, men and women together can work together to empower women and eventually have a more successful business environment.
Related: Women Need to Stop Saying Sorry in the Workplace
Many working individuals, especially women, tend to apologize for just about everything when there is absolutely no need to be apologetic. Women in the workplace say sorry for asking questions, allocating responsibilities to their subordinates and being assertive as a manager. This comes from a place of attempting not to overstep boundaries and being “trained” to always be polite.
However, women should not be sorry for doing their job.
Asking questions is a part of learning and growth, and it is extremely necessary. As a manager and leader, part of your role is to determine your subordinate’s tasks and be assertive to set expectations. It’s important to realize that rather than just telling women to stop saying sorry, companies need to actually provide an environment where women don’t feel like they need to be apologetic. The benefits of empowering women and promoting female leadership are endless. Some include more collaboration across the company, greater concern for employee mental and physical health, diverse problem-solving, increase in financial incentives and stronger professional employee relationships.
Via Inc.
Companies like the Coca-Cola Company are joining the movement to instill programs that empower women. There is a lot of talk and hope to provide more equality in the workplace for women and minorities. However, not much progress has been made. Women still face the glass ceiling effect, which consists of the invisible barrier that prevents women from holding leadership and management positions. Therefore, rather than just talking about women empowerment, we should actually be taking the initiative to do so. According to Forbes, some examples on how a company can empower women in their workplace include understanding ALL employees needs regardless of their gender, having unbiased rules, fair opportunities, education, training, health and safety standard policies, paid parental leave and childcare benefits. Providing these opportunities to any company work force will increase self-confidence and self-reliance for employees, as well as their work-life balance.
Overall, with women’s history of exclusion in the workplace and the emphasis of traditional gender norms in our society, it is important for modern day companies to break down barriers and work towards closing the gender gap by instilling programs that empower women. Having women in leadership positions and more managerial roles has shown to be more beneficial to companies in that it increases employee engagement, retention, satisfaction and financial success. Women should never have to apologize for doing their job and the way this ends begins with the employers. Let’s continue to empower women in all that they do. WE LOVE BOSS WOMEN!