Women represent half of the globe's population; to sustain economic development and leverage the technological revolution, we cannot discount this major proportion of our population. Winning the fight to capitalize female talent and bridge inequality gaps can stabilize the economy, pave way for innovation, contribute to healthier affiliations and foster global harmony.

Human talent, both physical and intellectual, defines the capability and competitiveness of an organization; same as with a country. When half of the potential skills are not integrated effectively, it can disrupt business growth.

Investing in gender equality can benefit the overall business, cutback retention and attract a reputed customer base. Diversity can cultivate design thinking and bring different perspectives to improve decision making…

…yet, gender bias is persistent.

Gender equality, equal pay, women empowerment and equal rights have all been sensationalized by global leaders, environmental activists, influencers, CXOs, managers, and even labor groups, yet the gap seems to just keep inflating than shrinking.

We seem to be getting closer to gender parity, but the reality: The Global Gender Gap Report from 2017 reveals that it would take over two centuries, 217 years to be precise, to close the gender gap; this was 170 years in 2016.

Hours of speeches, millions of articles and countless rallies, and the outcome?

Stalled progress towards equality.

Women are still being paid less

Women’s average earnings are almost half those of men, with average global earned income for women and men estimated at $10,778 and $19,873, respectively.

Limited opportunities

Almost all the organization's top levels are directed by men, naturally narrowing down opportunities for women.

Unconscious bias towards women is inherent in a lot of people.

Disproportionate share of senior roles and responsibilities

Women are scantily represented in executive pipelines and are 70% less likely than men to be in executive roles in their mid-careers.

Unemployment is more in women

Given the fact that women are provided with comparatively fewer prospects in their career, unemployment is becoming common. The rate of unemployment among women is nearly 2% higher than that of men globally.

Gradual progress with real changes

Based on reports, gender equality is progressing very slowly, and we are unlikely to see it happen within the span of the next few generations. But that doesn’t mean it deserves to be overlooked.

Every action taken towards equality is a step closer to our purpose.

Countries like Norway and Sweden have progressively been implementing regulations to neutralize the gender gap. 2016 WEF report has placed Norway and Sweden at the third and fourth ranks respectively in the Global Gender Gap Index. European countries have topped the chart recurrently when it comes to gender parity.

On an average, for every $1 earned by women in Norway, men earn $1.27, translating to a score of 0.79 where 0 equals imparity and 1 equals parity. Norway also topped the chart in literacy rates and political participation of women in the nation.

Nordic countries, in particular, have also been working on increasing the labor contribution of women by implementing policies that balance work and family life.

Though the numbers may seem insignificant, quite a lot of countries and business enterprises are accelerating gender equality movements within their provinces to their maximum abilities.

…what are you going to do?

The golden rule: Stop Blaming!

It's easy to point a finger, but, there's no criticizing after; each and every one is equally responsible for creating an equal space for both men and women.

Passing the blame does more damage than turning a deaf ear towards the cause.

A purpose and sense of urgency must be created. Its cliché to think the situation will settle down eventually and women will start flourishing and raise to the top. We know better, time will not tell, when the fundaments itself aren’t in place.

To make a better tomorrow, work needs to start today.

Women are ambitious, they aspire a thousand things, it's important to create a purpose for them to thrive. Opportunities must be created for them to lead; workplace culture must be transparent.

Equality must be a business imperative, organizations must drive diversity into the workplace. The press for progress is the key to success, greater actions result in greater progress towards equality.