As we publish this, America and the world are in the middle of emotional conversations about inequalities. These conversations exploded into the mainstream due to the injustices black people continue to face which were on full display with the painful death of #GeorgeFloyd. In this post, using Gender at work as an example, we explain how the complications of inequality can be overcome if we would solve across the dimensions of equality.
Gender inequality is a very complicated problem. The good news is the solution is known. And better still, the solution to level the playing field for women, would also level the playing field for everyone. The challenge we are trying to overcome is D I F F E R E N C E.
People who are different (from the majority group in power) are impacted by bias, get excluded, and opportunities are not given equally as a result. Even a white man might look like the majority, but if he behaves differently (different hobbies, different interests, different politics, different family, different communication style) he too will be impacted by the negative effects of cultural and structural biases.
That’s why at ShowMe50 we are so passionate about including everyone in the conversation of the problems and solutions. Step one is understanding the dimensions of gender equality. This infographic sums it up for you!
This infographic 1 summarizes one way of explaining why low representation of women in senior management has persisted in corporate America.
It’s Complicated.
The root causes lie across two axes— from individual to systemic and from informal to formal.
Upper Left – Unconscious Biases
In the upper left quadrant are the unconscious biases we have. Left unchecked, they manifest into discriminatory behavior that we deny occurs.
Lower Left – Corporate Culture Issues
In the lower left are the corporate culture issues. These are the informal, institutional ways of working. Many people know these cultural issues as the politics embedded deep in organizations- politics which disadvantage women due to our differences.
Upper Right – Resources
In the upper right are the resources. Who gets what and why. Women need a legitimate voice at the table and access to resources. A truly inclusive culture crowds out retaliation and conformance.
Lower Right – Institutional Practices
In the lower right are the institutional practices by which the organization operates. Are there checks and balances to ensure fairness? Are there mechanisms to hold organizations accountable for gender parity?
The ShowMe50™ Grassroots Initiative
ShowMe50™ has developed a grassroots initiative that works to address all of these factors. In addition, our strategy follows the spirit of the VitalSmarts Influencer 2 approach by providing the motivation and ability to drive change across all six sources of influence. Learn more about various influencing techniques in ShowMe50™ Toolkit 4 and on the ShowMe50™ Resources webpage.
- This infographic created by ShowMe50™ is an interpretation of Gender at Work’s Framework to Institutional Change. Learn about GAW’s global mission at http://www.genderatwork.org/ ↩
- The three key steps in the Influencer approach are: define the goal clearly, identify the vital (root cause, high-leverage) behaviors and focus efforts simultaneously across the Six Sources of Influence™. Learn more about VitalSmarts Inluencer at https://www.vitalsmarts.com/products-solutions/influencer/ ↩