The cost of ignoring gender equality at work.

Most women face inequality and injustice at some point in their careers. Women are underpaid, promoted less often, overlooked for leadership, interrupted in meetings, sidelined from key projects, and more likely to face harassment, microaggressions, and burnout.

Women worldwide still earn 20% less than men, and just 28% of managerial roles are held by women. While diversity targets are often championed, meaningful change has proven sluggish.

The Team Lewis report found that more than 40% of employees believe their company’s efforts to support women could go further, and 47% want pay transparency prioritized.

Workplace culture needs an overhaul too. Women report being undervalued, spoken over, and shut out of decision-making. One female respondent put it simply: "I often find myself in work environments where my opinion is not respected."

In the US, it will take another 50 years for ALL women to achieve equality in the corporate sector, 22 years for white women and 48 years for women of colour. Despite the data, governments in many parts of the world are ditching equality initiatives when they are most needed.

Research from McKinsey & Company consistently shows that companies with gender-diverse leadership outperform those without it. Ignoring workplace equity doesn’t just hold women back—it stifles progress, limits innovation, and deprives organizations of fresh ideas, new angles, and leadership that can drive growth. Simply put, inclusive workplaces are fairer, smarter, stronger and more sustainable.