Fully integrating women into both the workplace and the marketplace can yield a significant return—what can be called the Gender Dividend. Much like the dividends that public corporations pay to shareholders, the Gender Dividend is a steady benefit that is earned by making wise, balanced investments in developing women as workers and potential leaders as well as under standing women as consumers and their impact on the economy and the bottom line. Done right, the Gender Dividend should be reflected in increased sales, expanded markets, and improved recruitment and retention of a key talent segment.
It will require a concerted, strategic focus on how to fully integrate women’s experiences, perspectives, and voices into the fabric of an organization.