Women in leadership have come a long way since first beginning to take on managerial roles. However, there still remains a gap between men in leadership and women in leadership.

In a world that seems to preach equality but can not always measure up, it begs the question, how can your business help women’s leadership?

Listen to Their Voice

You’ve heard it said that women are often interrupted or talked over in meetings. While not every workplace is like this, it has happened enough times that women have begun to speak up about it. One of the most important things your business can do to promote women’s leadership is to make sure your norms and expectations for communication demonstrate respect for all in the workplace. By creating space for female voices, your organization will have a more diverse opinion on specific matters and will foster a collaborative environment. In order to have a thriving business, ALL your employees must feel that they can give equal input and will be given credit when they do so.

Advocate for Salary Transparency

One of the biggest indicators of inequity is that women leaders are often paid less than their male counterparts, especially when they have done the same job for the same amount of time or for longer than the men. Oftentimes, salaries are a secretive subject matter, and women do not know  they are being paid less . And even when companies are called out on this, they often attempt to explain  why pay inequalities exist.  Companies that have salary transparency automatically set leaders up for better success when compared to companies that keep this under wraps. Your business can make a positive impact by advocating for salary transparency at all levels of the organization.

Offer Good Benefits

There are many benefits that businesses can offer to their employees and their families as a way to promote and retain women in leadership positions. A few of these benefits include onsite childcare, maternity benefits and female networking opportunities. Employees will be able to see how much you value them when you implement these benefits at your organization, and will likely focus on how the work they do benefits their families. Businesses who  genuinely care about their employees, and offer these benefits to employees help promote growth into leadership positions that often require working more hours and increased demands.

I encourage you to think about ways your company can  take these steps to help women’s leadership efforts. Not only can your company help women succeed in the workplace, but it can also help encourage other companies to follow suit. The benefits of doing so will provide countless benefits in the years to come and strengthen our society overall.