That’s right, you read it correctly, another 300 years!  The United Nations Secretary General told the Commission on the Status of Women on March 7, 2023, that gender equality is “300 years away.” The statement was based on statistics from UN Women, an organization dedicated to the study of the status of women and girls around the world, and the advancement of gender equality and empowerment of women. According to UN Women, girls and women represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. However, statistics show that there is a long way to go to achieve full equality of rights and opportunities between men and women.

Due to multiple reasons like: various forms of gender violence; threats to women’s fundamental human rights like the right to choose an abortion and the lack of equal access to quality education and health; insufficient economic resources; and marginal participation in political life, unfortunately gender equality is growing more distant. As the UN Secretary General put it, gender equality is “vanishing before our eyes.” 

On this International Women’s Day 2023, let us all support the equality of all human beings around the world, including women and girls. And, as an important reminder to all employers: just like other employees, women have the legal right to equal opportunity and treatment in the workplace. So here are just a few tips for employers to make sure they are advancing and protecting the equality of all employees, including women.

• Be sure to have a compliant and effective EEO policy and anti-harassment policy in place;
• Train your managers and supervisors, as well as your non-supervisory employees, on the rights of employees under those policies, and the consequences for violating them;
• Adopt and meaningfully implement a DEI program;
• Provide employment opportunities to employees in a fair and unbiased manner;
• Treat reports of misconduct seriously and conduct prompt and impartial investigations;
• Take appropriate remedial action to ensure employees comply with policies and treat one another professionally in the workplace.
• Celebrate your people and their unique contributions to your business.

Happy International Women’s Day!