1.index to consolidated ppp ( slides 1 – 39) 2.index to consolidated ppp ( slides 40-75)...
TRANSCRIPT
1
GENDER BALANCE in the UN
Consolidated Slides from: New Staff Orientation, UN SWAP on
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (Prajuna’s) and Business Case for Diversity(study by Allison)
*************************
GENDER BALANCE in the UN System
Consolidated Slides from: New Staff Orientation, UN SWAP on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (Prajuna’s) and Business Case for Diversity(study by Allison)Index – contd.
59. Catalyst information center – four pillars of business case60. Facts and figures from Catalyst info. center – improving
financial performance61. Improving financial performance, contd.62. Improving financial performance, contd.63. Leveraging talent, reflecting the marketplace and building
reputation64. Increasing innovation and group performance65. Summary of Harvard Business school Study66. Facts and figures from Harvard study67. Study by McKinsey & co.68. Helping women get to the top69. The conundrum of the glass ceiling70. Reason for slowed progress for women71. Contd. Reason for slowed progress for women72. A guide to women and the economy73. Not yet 50/50: Barriers to the progress of senior women in the
Australian public service74. Facts and Figures from the Australian study75. Concluding Slide with Aparna contact info.
The Improvement of the Status of Women in the UN Secretariat
New Staff Orientation
Aparna MehrotraSeptember 2013
3
Why is gender balance important?
4
• The UN has a particular responsibility to lead by example in achieving gender parity
• GA mandate for gender parity• Essential for achieving the MDGs• Increases effectiveness of all programmes• Gender balanced professional working teams have
greater potential for innovation• Increases psychological safety for everybody
History of Gender Balance in the UN
5
Important Outputs in 2012• Monitoring & Reporting:
Secretary-General’s Report on the Improvement in the Status of Women in the United Nations System and web annexes (A/67/347)
• Supporting the Development of Policies:Ongoing input into Secretary-General’s Policy Committee; Draft policy on gender-based violence and the workplace
• Inter-agency Coordination:Providing updates on the status of women for GA, IANWGE, CSW, Pregnancy Taskforce
• Support for entities:Development of resource packs, including factsheets, projections, infographics, and summaries of trends; providing outreach and advice
Improvement in the status of women in the UN system A/67/347
Aims of the report:
• To report on the status of women in the UN system including: progress made and obstacles encountered; up to date statistics, including the number and percentage of women and their functions and nationalities; and, details on the responsibility and accountability of the offices of human resource management and the CEB for promoting gender balance.
• To provide recommendations for accelerating progress across the UN system.
• To support and feed into the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
• To assist the agencies of the United Nations system, their Focal Points and HR offices in identifying persistent trends and obstacles to the advancement of women, and provide guidance on areas for improvement.
http://www.un.org/womenwatch/uncoordination/sg-reports.html
7
Total Staff Across the UN System from the P-1 to UG Levels, on Temporary Contracts
Total: 3,028
Total Staff Across the UN System from the P-1 to UG Levels, on Contracts of One Year or More
Total: 29,667
Female:1,39946.2%
Male:1,62953.8%
Male:17,58059.3%
Female:12,08740.7%
2016 The year in which gender balance will be reached across the UN system IF there is an annual increase of 2 percentage points
2024 The year in which gender balance will be reached across the UN system at the current rate of growth
2011
2015
2019
2027
2031
2035
2039
2043
2047
2051
2055
NEVER**
IAEA 2053
ICAO 2029
ICSC
2030
IFAD & IMO 2018
ILO & ITC-ILO
UN
U
2036
ITC
ITU 2025
UNDP 2028
UNHCR 2052
WFP 2044
FAO, WHO & WIPO W
MO
2032
UN
ESCO
201
2
UN
ITAR,
UN
JSPF &
UN
OPS
SECR
ETAR
IAT
& U
NID
O
2038
By 2016, gender balance could be achieved across the
United Nations system.This would require only a 2% annual increase in the overall proportion of women. At the current rate of growth, it will take another 13 years for this goal to be realized.
By 2011, only FIVE entities had achieved gender balance: ICJ, PAHO, UNFPA, UNICEF & UNWOMEN
The United Nations General Assembly set the target of 50:50 gender balance by the year 2000. This is now 11 years past due and women currently make up just 40.7 per cent of staff.
UN
RWA
2013
UNAIDS 2021 WTO 2020
Countdown to Gender Parity
Representation of Women at All Levels in the Secretariat2000 & 2011 Comparison
10
Information based on the report of the Secretary-General: Improvement in the Status of Women in the UN System (A/67/347), Web Annex VI Table 6.2 UN Women
Secretariat trends in the percentage of women at senior levels 30 June 2008–30 June 2012
Sources: All data refers to contracts of one year or more (continuous and fixed term) and excludes temporary contracts. Graph A: For UN system data see A/67/347; for UN Secretariat data see OHRM, Table 15; Graph B: OHRM; Graph C:
A/67/347; Graph D: A/67/347.
Representation of women in appointments and promotions at P-2 and D-2 levels of the UN Secretariat, from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011
Appointments
Promotions
Women are awarded the majority of appointments and promotions at the P-2 level, while three quarters go to men at the D-2 level
Sources: All data refers to contracts of one year or more (continuous and fixed term) and excludes temporary contracts. Graph A: For
UN system data see A/67/347; for UN Secretariat data see OHRM, Table 15; Graph B: OHRM; Graph C: A/67/347; Graph D: A/67/347.
Representation of women at the D-1 to USG and P-1 to P-5 levels, by Secretariat department, 30 June 2012
The proportion of women varies much more at the senior levels and several departments have no female representation at all at these levels
Sources: All data refers to contracts of one year or more (continuous and fixed term) and excludes temporary contracts. Graph E: DM/OHRM, 2012; Graph F: DM/OHRM, 2002-2012
Secretariat trends in the representation of women and projections on attainment of parity, 30 June 2002 – 30 June 2012
Parity will never be achieved at D-1 at the current rate of growth
Sources: All data refers to contracts of one year or more (continuous and fixed term) and excludes temporary contracts. Graph E: DM/OHRM, 2012; Graph F: DM/OHRM, 2002-2012
There are a similar number of posts at non-HQ locations compared to HQ locations, but women’s share of those posts is much smaller because they are awarded far fewer promotions and appointments
Take Away: Representation of Women
by Location
Policies and Practices in the SecretariatPart I
•The Secretariat employs approximately 32.5% of all Professional and higher level staff, and its policies shape and inform the practices of the UN system as a whole, with a large number of entities explicitly either following or basing their policies and practices on those of the Secretariat.
•In 2011 the highest level committee on policy, chaired by the Secretary-General , reviewed the status of women in the secretariat and decided on specific actions for Heads of Departments/Offices/Missions to accelerate progress towards the goal of gender parity.
•The Secretary-General's Change Management Team delivered The Change Plan in December 2011 to foster a modern, engaged and efficient Secretariat that is transparent and accountable in its work to identify, track and monitor progress with respect also to the gender dimension of the relevant initiatives of The Change Plan.
17
Policies and Practices in the SecretariatPart II
•DPKO/DFS has initiated a “Bridging the Gender Gap” Project.
•Senior Managers’ Compacts in the UN Secretariat are co-signed by the Secretary-General and reviewed annually by the Management Performance Board for performance against established targets. •In areas of weakness, each senior manager is then asked to submit an action plan to address them. •Indicators include full compliance with UN SWAP baseline reporting requirements and percentage of female staff selected. •The customized target is calculated as follows: a ratio is calculated based on an entity improving by 50% against the gap between their representation of women and 50%. This ratio is then applied to the entity’s selections. The target is the representation which would result should all selections be made at this ratio.
18
Policies and Practices in the Secretariat Part III
• The previous staff selection ST/AI stated that “If the head of a department/office who has not met the gender targets set out in the departmental action plan proposes to select a male candidate where an equally qualified female candidate exists, the proposed selection decision must be justified to, and approved by, OHRM”. However, this stipulation is not included in the current staff selection system, which delegates the decision to the head of the department/office “taking into account the Organization’s human resources objectives and targets as reflected in the departmental human resources plan, especially with regard to geography and gender.”
• A comprehensive three-year strategy (2012 to 2014) for the strengthening of FWA was developed in order to integrate advocacy, garner support for implementation, track FWA usage and determine policy revisions. Gender balance strategy and action plan.
• The gender balance strategy and action plan for the United Nations Secretariat is currently being reviewed by OHRM.
• A network of approximately 60 departmental focal points (DFPs) and alternates in the Secretariat coordinated by the FPW facilitates the formulation, implementation and monitoring of gender-relevant policy, the sharing of good practices in the Secretariat and, where relevant, the wider United Nations system. The mandate of the DFPs is to support the head of the department, office or regional commission in fulfilling his or her responsibilities for the achievement of gender equality
19
UN-SWAP: Content
• The UN-SWAP and its six elements: accountability, results based management, oversight, human and financial resources, capacity, and knowledge exchange and networking
• 15 Performance Indicators, rated at five levels: not applicable, missing, approaches, meets, exceeds: gradational
• Technical Notes - support each Performance Indicator – includes good practice
20
UN-SWAPEmbedded in the UN-SWAP are a series of criteria focused on gender balance in staffing across the United Nations system, including human resources, gender architecture and organizational culture:
(a) the entity has attained equal representation of women at the P-4 level and above, including at the senior most levels of representation in Field Offices, Committees and Funds linked to the entity, and at the GS level
(b) gender balance focal points or equivalent at headquarters, regional and country levels are: appointed from staff level P-4 and above; have written terms of reference and at least 20% of their time allocated to focal point functions; and, specific funds are allocated to support focal point networking
(c) organizational culture fully supports promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women through the promulgation and implementation of appropriate gender relevant policies and practices; senior managers demonstrate leadership and public championing of the equal representation of women
21
Recommendations
• Gender training for all staff • Access to real time data and
projected retirements for hiring managers and appointment boards
• Requirement of at least one woman on the list of recommended candidates
• Justification to HR in writing of selection decisions of male candidates where an underrepresentation of women exists at that given level in the department
Strengthening Recruitment and Selection ProcessesReview policies, rules and regulations to develop a comprehensive framework for women’s advancement with clear roles and responsibilities
• Sponsorship programmes for women.
Increasing Opportunities for Career DevelopmentIntegrate mobility into career development opportunities, specifically ensuring that women at the P-3, P-4 and P-5 levels acquire skills in fields of work traditionally segregated along gender lines
• Conduct Exit Interviews systematically and anonymously
• Incorporate gender-related indicators into exit interviews and analyze on a quarterly basis.
• Regular review of mobility related concerns to attract and retain women in non-headquarters locations, including through spousal employment, time-bound placements and greater job security.
• Investigate the causes of the high proportion of women on temporary contracts.
Improving Retention of Female StaffFocus resources on retaining qualified female staff and developing a pipeline
• Implementation of work-life policies and practices with messaging and encouragement of the highest levels
• FWAs can support cost reduction strategies.
• Communications strategies to promote usage of FWAs.
Expanding Flexible Work ArrangementsIncrease the usage of flexible work arrangements among staff by demonstrating leadership, promoting availability and reducing stigma
United Nations System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women
27
UN SWAP: An Overview
28
WHAT IS UN SWAP?• On 13 April, 2012 the UN-SWAP was adopted at a meeting of the
United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination to be applied throughout the UN system.
• The UN SWAP is a unified gender equality framework that enhances accountability and measures progress in the UN System’s gender-related work.
• It establishes a new model for accountability, allowing a snapshot of the state of work to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women.
• It includes a set of 15 common system-wide performance indicators.
29
30
UN-SWAP includes a set of 15 common system-wide Performance Indicators clustered in six broad and functional areas as follows:
UN SWAP PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
31
• UN Women established a comprehensive web based reporting system that captured rating on the UN-SWAP Performance Indicators.
• The reporting captures performance and progress through a gradated self-rating system with five steps: not applicable; missing; approaches requirements; meets requirements; and exceeds requirements.
• The reporting system also systematizes identification of strengths and weaknesses across and within entities, and acts as a repository of data and good practices by Performance Indicator.
• The report provides a baseline data against which to measure progress , as well as entity remedial plans, which include timeframes, budgets, and responsibilities for follow-up.
UN SWAP Reporting
32
ANALYSIS BY ENTITY TYPE: As a whole, the UN system meets or exceeds
requirements in only 31 per cent of individual ratings on Performance Indicators, and approaches requirements in another 43 per cent indicating that much improvement is still needed on most fronts
The UN Secretariat meets/exceeds requirements in 27 percent of ratings and Specialized Entities with a Technical Focus only meets/exceeds in 12 percent so they could be accorded particular attention in follow-up.
The importance of a majority of entities achieving the rating of “approaches requirements” should not be underestimated. Progress over the next two years will depend largely on moving ratings from approaches to meets requirements.
BASELINE FINDINGS FROM UN SWAP REPORTING82 percent of required entities submitted the reports. For the purposes of data analysis, entities were
grouped into four categories to facilitate analysis for the whole system, and its component parts.
33
ANALYSIS BY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR• Performance areas with the strongest ratings where 40 per cent or more of
the ratings meet or exceed requirement for a given indicator were: Coherence (77 per cent), Performance Assessment (59 per cent), Organizational Culture (48 per cent), Gender policy (41 per cent) and Strategic Planning (41 per cent).
• Weaker performance areas where 25 per cent or less of the total ratings met or exceeded requirements for any given indicator were: Resource allocation (7 per cent); Gender Architecture and Parity (13 per cent); Audit (13 per cent); Capacity Assessment (15 per cent); Resource Tracking (22 per cent); and Capacity Development (23 per cent). All of these areas require urgent attention across the United Nations system.
• Considerable, consistent and determined effort is required for a majority of UN entities to meet performance standards by 2017
UN-SWAP REPORT ANALYSIS BY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
34
UN SWAP Human Resource Indicator
35
UN SWAP Human Resource IndicatorThe human resource indicators have as their objective to move the system to
an Equal Representation of Women at all levels or parity. The objective is dependent on two aspects - Gender architecture and Organizational culture. These two aspects constitute the two human resource relevant indicators of
the UN SWAP.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
• This was one of the Performance Indicators on which there was a better performance, with 47 per cent of entities meeting/exceeding requirement.
• 41 per cent of entities at the UN Secretariat met/exceeded requirements.
• To exceed requirements, senior managers need to demonstrate leadership regarding the equal representation of women; Only 16 per cent met this overall and 18.5 percent at the Secretariat.
36
REQUIREMENTS: Enforcement of regulations on ethical behaviour and work-life balance; facilitative policies on leave; and prevention of discrimination and harassment.
GENDER ARCHITECTURE AND PARITY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
• Of 55 entities that submitted UN-SWAP report, only 13 percent of the total ratings met or exceeded requirements for Gender Architecture and Parity (Fig .1), indicating it as an performance area where entities need substantial improvement
• Only 14 per cent of entities from the UN Secretariat reported to have met or exceeded this requirement
37
REQUIREMENTS: Gender focal points appointed from staff at the P-4 level and above, with written terms and at least 20 percent of their time allocated to functions related to GEEW, full resourcing of the department or unit for GEEW, and the entity has reached equal representation of women for General Service staff and also at P-4 and above levels.
• The analysis of the UN-SWAP reporting provided evidence that a stronger gender architecture and parity leads to strengthened entity performance on the UN-SWAP:– Entities that met/exceeded the gender architecture/parity indicator
met or exceeded all other Performance Indicators in 55 percent of individual ratings, as opposed to 38 percent for those that did not.
• To understand issues that need to be addressed in this area, it is important to analyze the two components of this indicator: • Gender Architecture• Gender Parity
38
GENDER ARCHITECTURE PERFORMANCE INDICATOR (Cont’d)
GENDER ARCHITECTURE
UN SWAP Reporting on Gender Architecture
– Majority (89 per cent) of entities had gender focal points or equivalents.
– 54 per cent reported that their focal points were at the P-4 level and above.
– 52 percent had written terms of reference and 33 per cent allotted at least 20 per cent of their time to focal-point duties
39
40
UN SWAP Reporting on Gender Parity
– 79 per cent of entities had not achieved parity at the P-4 level and above, while 53 percent had achieved gender balance at the General Service level.
– It is apparent that this gender parity component needs urgent attention if the requirements for Gender Architecture and Parity are to be met by 2017
– Furthermore, this raises concern in view of numerous General Assembly resolutions (65/……….), which have called for urgent action to meet the goal of 50/50 gender balance in the UN system, especially at senior and policymaking levels.
GENDER PARITY
CURRENT STATE OF GENDER PARITY AT A GLANCE
41
42
The percentage of male and female staff from the P-1 to UG levels at the UN Secretariat is comparable to the percentage across the UN system. The difference is only one percentage point.
The percentage of male and female staff from the P-1 to UG levels at the UN Secretariat is comparable to the percentage across the UN system. The difference is only one percentage point.
Total: 31583
43
Level USG ASG D-2 D-1 P-5 P-4 P-3 P-2 P-1
% of Men 71.2 77.5 72.8 70.8 68.4 61.4 56.6 48.0 18.2
% of Women 28.8 22.5 27.2 29.2 31.6 38.6 43.4 52.0 81.8
44
Level UG D-2 D-1 P-5 P-4 P-3 P-2 P-1
% of Men 71.3 71.7 68.7 66.3 60.2 54.4 42.8 36.4
% of Women 28.7 28.3 31.3 33.7 39.8 45.6 57.3 63.6
45
As illustrated by the previous graphs on gender distribution at each individual professional and higher levels (P-1 to UG levels):•Parity has only been achieved at the lowest two levels of the system (P-1 and P-2) and is closest at P-3 levels, which holds true for both the UN System and the Secretariat.
•The percentage of male and female staff in the UN Secretariat is comparable to that of the UN system as a whole at the professional levels, except P-2 and P-1 levels.
•Compared to the UN System, the percentage of women appointed at the P-1 level in the UN Secretariat is 36.5 percentage point higher.
•There remains an inverse relationship between the proportion of women and the level of seniority; the percentage of women’s share of appointments decreases with every increase in the staff level from P-1 to UG levels, at the UN Secretariat and the UN System.
•The biggest problems are at P-5 to D-2 levels where the process is regulated by the staff selection system rather than the Secretary-General’s appointment process and where representation has barely increased since 2006.
CURRENT STATE OF GENDER PARITY
46
• It is evident that most progress towards parity is achieved at the highest levels (ASG and USG) and moderate progress at P-3 level since December 2006.
• Given parity is closest at lower professional levels, there should be concerted efforts to address the parity gap at P-5 and D-2 levels , where process is regulated by the staff selection system rather than the Secretary-General’s appointment process and where representation has barely increased since 2006
GAPS IN PROGRESS TOWARDS GENDER PARITY
47
HOW TO ACHIEVE GENDER PARTIY?
48
“What gets measured gets done”
•It is important to have clearly defined initiatives and results on gender parity monitored by a robust and visible instrument.
•UN-SWAP reporting suggests that entities that have a Strategic Action Plan on Gender Parity in place have been able to lessen the gender gap more effectively.
•A Strategic Action Plan on Gender Parity will provide management accountability mechanisms for the achievement of gender parity .
•The good practices adopted by entities in the UN system that have led to greater gender parity can be compiled into factors what we call here “HOLISTIC STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ON GENDER PARITY”
HOW TO ACHIEVE GENDER PARTIY?
49
In addition to mechanisms for collaboration between Human Resources and Senior Management, factors that lead to a holistic strategic action plan, based on UN SWAP report, are divided into following four ways:
1.Recruitment2.Retention3.Advancement and; 4.Organizational Culture
HOLISTIC STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN ON GENDER PARITY
50
In conclusion, a Holistic Strategic Plan helps us in achieving gender parity by providing management mechanism:
•Situation Mapping: Outlines Necessary Measures
•Action Plan: Concrete strategies and Actions
•Measurable Indicators: Set time-bound and accountable gender targets and
outcomes, by which progress can be monitored•Resource Mapping:
Estimation, Mobilization and Allocation
HOLISTIC STRATEGIC PLAN ON GENDER PARITY (Cont’d)
51
Hiring practices reflect the organizations commitment to gender equity
• A real-time data on Gender Parity situation of the organization and estimated percentage of women to be hired, broken down by grade and department, guides hiring practices.
• Entities develop integrated approach to emphasize the recruitment of and to attract female applicants. Recruitment campaigns targeted specifically to female candidates to improve parity at any individual staffing levels.
• Underperforming departments/units should develop an outreach strategy to widen the pool of suitable external female candidates, especially in occupational groups with low female representation
• Information on gender balance throughout all stages of recruitment pipeline such as applied, screened, interviewed, recommended and selected should be reviewed by the hiring managers and senior management.
• For departments, categories, and levels where gender parity are not met department heads and hiring managers should take proactive measures such as select a female candidate from the recommended list resulting from the staff selection process where such list includes one or more female candidates.
1. RECRUITMENT
52
• All stages of hiring panel such as selection committee, review body and interview panel are gender balanced.
• To ensure that different stakeholders in the staff selection system are fully aware of the procedures, processes and practices, manuals on the staff selection system be developed and regularly updated to reflect any measures that are adopted at any given time.
• For staff selection particularly for higher levels (P-4, P-5, D-1 and D-2) at least one suitable and qualified female candidate should be shortlisted. If qualified female applicants were short-listed, accountability measures are in place to explain why they were not selected.
• Departments are required to submit an annual report on gender targets to senior management and to provide a detailed explanation of why the targets were not met accompanied by an action plan for the coming year.
1. RECRUITMENT (Cont’d)
53
Establish a mechanism to understand the pattern and factors affecting staff separation and implementing practices to retain them
•Regular global surveys and exit-interviews should be conducted to assess issues affecting staff experience as they provide tangible insight and data on reasons for staff turnover.
•The findings from the survey and exit interview are considered in developing initiatives to support new measures reflected in gender balance strategy and action plan.
•Provision for the recognition of qualified female staff members for advancement and promotion.
•Informal networks of female staff support, to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, advice, contacts and experience.
•Adopt and implement policies that improve and ensure a family-friendly environment. (details discussed under Organizational Culture)
2. RETENTION
54
Establish a mechanism for female staff members to share workplace gender issues, recognize their skills and provide them with guidance on career development
•A mentoring programme for all professional female staff members with the aim to provide them guidance and structured career support.
•The appointment of gender focal points or “equivalents” such as a Gender Working Group tasked with the responsibility to monitor and report on the gender balance as well as provide support and career advice to other female staff members.
•Informal networks of female staff support, to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, advice, contacts and experience.
•Proactive and concrete “in-reach” interventions for promotion adopted by hiring manager such as profiling all female staff at P-5 and D-1 levels and approaching promising staff members with opportunities for promotion.
•A training program tailored to provide female staff with the necessary knowledge and skill sets required to advance to higher professional levels.
3. ADVANCEMENT
55
Implementation of policies that promote organizational culture conducive to Gender Equality
•Actively encourage the use of policies in support of healthy work-life balance for all staff members including flexible working arrangements, parental leave, child care, and spousal employment.
•Mechanism to enforce and uphold UN rules and regulations on ethical behaviour to prevent discrimination and harassment.
•Recognition of departments/units who meet their goals on gender targets so that it allows for more awareness-raising, visibility and positive messaging about the efforts to reach gender parity.
•The report on gender equality of all departments/units/offices are made public; Comparison of performance could be an effective reinforcement and accountability tool .
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
56
However, entities have identified that there are some factors that are critical to implementing the plan and ensuring tangible progress towards meeting gender targets:
•Demonstrated commitment from Senior Management
•Assigned responsibility and follow-up
•Transparency of progress and results
•Alignment of plan initiatives with HR policies and procedures
•Adequate Funding
FACTORS CRITICAL FOR SUCCESS
Aparna Mehrotra September 2013
Business Case for Diversity
Women in the Workplace Facts and Figures to Support
the Business Case for Diversity
Research Study Topics:
Why Diversity Matters – Catalyst Information Center, July 2013
Gender Equity – Harvard Business School, 8 September 2013
Coaching Urged for Women – The Wall Street Journal, 4 April 2011
Helping women get to the top –The Economist, 23 July 2005
The conundrum of the glass ceiling – The Economist, 23 July 2005
A guide to women and the economy – The Economist,12 April 2006Not yet 50/50: Barriers to the Progress of Senior Women in the Australian Public Service – Anzsog Institute for Governance at the University of Canberra, May 2013
Catalyst Information CenterIdentifies four pillars of the business case
Catalyst. Why Diversity Matters (2013). http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/why-diversity-matters
In a 2007 study, Catalyst found that companies with more women board directors outperformed those with the least amount by:
• Return on Equity (53% higher)• Return on Sales (42% higher)• Return on Invested Capital (66% higher)
A 2007 McKinsey study found that 89 European listed companies with the highest proportions of women in senior leadership roles and at least two women on their boards outperformed industry averages for the Stoxx Europe 600 with:
• 10% higher Return on Equity• 48% higher EBIT• 1.7x the stock price growth
Facts and FiguresFacts and FiguresImproving Financial Performance
Improving Financial Performance, contd.
A 2008 study by Siri Terjesen and Val Singh found in a study of 43 countries that those with a higher proportion of women on boards were more likely to have women in senior management and a smaller gender pay gap.
A 2012 study by Abdullah, Ismail, and Nachum found that women board directors had a positive effect on accounting performance in more than 800 public companies in Malaysia.
Improving Financial Performance, contd.
Companies with women CEOs or heads have better financial performance:
Forbes study of 26 publicly traded companies with women heads in 2011 found that the companies’ stock performance, on average, outperformed their industries by 15% and the overall market by 28%.
A 2009 study by the Economic Times in India found that those companies with women CEOs on the Bombay Stock Exchange had higher annual growth rates for the previous 5 years than the BSE as a whole.
Research study by:
Almost 7,000 clients of Zenger Folkman completed a survey in 2011 (64% men, 34% women)
women outranked in men in 12 of 16 competence categories, including “takes initiative,” “drives for results,” and “displaying honesty and integrity.”
A 2013 study by Choi and Rainey of government agencies in the U.S
employees reported higher satisfaction at agencies in which they perceive that diversity is effectively managed and that have higher levels of organizational fairness
A study over a 10-year period by Cumming, Leung, Rui (2012) of firms with no fraud vs. firms with regulation violations
higher numbers of women on boards was associated with lower corporate fraud in China. These companies were less likely to commit fraud or violate securities regulations.
A 2009 study of large UK firms by Brammer, Millington, and Pavelin
the presence of women board directors was favorably viewed in sectors that operate close to their final customers, which demonstrates a need to reflect diversity among consumers.
More women leaders in Fortune 500 companies leads to significantly higher levels of corporate philanthropy.
A 2009 study by Adams and Ferreira Gender diverse boards have higher levels of boardroom involvement and oversight due to a higher level of attendance by all members at board meetings than boards with fewer females
A 2011 study by Soares, Marquis, and Lee, 2011
It was found that:
Summary of Harvard Business School Study:
For the past two years, Harvard Business School has undergone an experiment for the Class of 2013 – it changed its curriculum, rules, and social rituals in an attempt to create an environment for women to thrive both as students and as faculty.
Female students consistently had lower grades than men and the school had trouble keeping its female faculty members.
Regarding the success of the experiment, one of the deans stated, “We made progress on the first-level things, but what it’s permitting us to do is see, holy cow, how deep-seated the rest of this is.”
SOURCE: Kantor, Josie. “Harvard Business School Case Study: Gender Equity.” (2013, September 8). The New York Times, p. A1.
Facts and Figures:
Women were suffering from lower grades at Harvard Business School. The poor performance was mostly due to low levels of class participation, which made up 50% of grades.
Class participation of females increased after lectures on “respect and civility, expanded efforts like hand-raising coaching, and added stenographer in class so professors would no longer rely on possibly biased memories of who said what.”
Participation also suffered from single women, who didn’t want to come across as aggressive for fear it would compromise social success.
Female faculty members, often thought of as less credible than males with more business experience. They were encouraged to tell more stories of their own research during the experiment. Their teaching scores increased after this advice.
The experiment just addressed campus issues, though HBS recognizes that career choice, earning power, and staying in the workforce are also issues that affect rates of women in the workforce.
Baker Scholars, given to the top 5% of graduates, demonstrate the success of the study. While women averaged close to 20% of scholars in the past, the number shot up to almost 40% in 2013.
Study by McKinsey & Co., The Wall Street Journal, 4 April 2011
Facts and Figures:Companies must have more female middle managers in order to advance more women in business and promote them to vice presidents and corporate leaders. Even a 25% increase in middle management would “significantly alter the shape of the pipeline.”
Companies are not “systematically watching women in middle management and putting in programs that would help them develop and get over the next promotion hurdle.” This partly explains why women’s ambitions decline over time, especially for working mothers.
Female ambition declines sharply with age – only 64% of females ages 45 – 54 expressed a desire to advance professional. The number for those ages 23 – 34 is 92%. Mentoring must be done early enough so that women are still ambitious in advancing to the next level.
The report suggests that to remedy this, businesses must work harder to change the mind-set limiting women’s opportunities. The performance of top managers should be judged partly on their ability to groom and promote female talent.
67
Helping women get to the Top
Summary:Facts and Figures:• ABB, BP, and General Electric renewed their efforts to help
women reach higher levels because they believe this will help with their profits.
• Research from the U.S., Britain, and Scandinavia demonstrates a strong correlation between shareholder returns and the proportion of women in higher executive positions.
• There is a popular myth that women are choosing to forgo high-level positions in favor of fulltime caregiving. While it may be true for some, it is certainly not true for all women. This myth cannot prevail for women to progress.
• Women are not rising to the top, despite a more equal gender balance at lower levels of companies.
• A helpful change would be more flexible working hours to men and women who are primary caregivers. The attitude that those who are at the office the latest are the hardest workers hurts women who have kids they must take care of in the evenings. Flex work hours, such as allowing mothers to work after kids go to bed, would help advance women in the workplace.
68
Having women in the top ranks of companies is genuinely believed by some to be beneficial to the success of their businesses. Despite this, there are few women in the top echelons of corporations
Remedy:
Men must understand that women have: different needs in the workplace, as they are often burdened with being the primary caregiver and need more flexible arrangements
69
The conundrum of the glass ceiling
Despite identifying the issue of the glass ceiling 20 years prior to the publication of the article, there are still too few women at the top.
The major hurdles are: Exclusion from informal networks Stereotype of women as inadequate leaders Lack of role models Fewer opportunities to reenter the
workforce after extended leave.Time will not erode the leadership gap. There must be measures put in place to promote the advancement of women. Various organizations have supported such initiatives, but there is a long way to go.
Facts and Figures:Companies who have implemented diversity initiatives believe that the promotion of women is not just a moral issue but have been persuaded that there is a business case:
Mixed groups are better problem solvers than like-minded ones.Financial performance is generally better (cites a 2004 Catalyst study). Push for diversity from customers – allows companies to attract different parts of a multicultural marketplace.
The results of the initiatives are mixed. The article cites the example of GE, whose initiatives increased the number of female senior executives, but failed to place any women at the top of a business division. Conversely, Alcan, a Canadian company, made significantly more progress with 75% of its main businesses led by women after its push for diversity.
70
Reasons for slowed progress for women:
Informal networks – it is commonplace in many countries for teams to participate in activities that can exclude many women, such as sports, drinking, and taking potential clients to strip clubs. Stereotypes of women as inadequate leaders – There is evidence that men are unconsciously biased against promoting women inside companies. This was the central argument in an employment case that went to the Supreme Court, Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, where the defendant, who won, alleged that she was not promoted to partnership though deserved it. Lack of role models Fewer opportunities to reenter workforce after extended leave – The trend of the flattening of hierarchy in organizations has created fewer opportunities for promotions and consequently fewer opportunities to reenter the workforce at higher levels. Women inevitably take time off – for children, to care for elderly parents etc. and this negatively impacts their ability to obtain higher-level jobs when looking to return to work.
.
71
A study done by the Centre for Work-Life Policy found that: after extended leave (3 or more years) 93% of women would like to return to work after such leave but the options available to them were “few and far between.” After three or more years out of the workforce, women lose, on average, 37% of their earning power.
Solutions: Norway – mandated that by the end of 2006, all companies must have at least 2 women on their boards. Britain – A group of businesswomen set up Women Directors on Boards (WDOB), which aims to change UK companies by doubling the number of female directors from 5% to 10% by 2010. Opportunities for flexible working hours needed Mentoring is helpful – WDOB set up a program to have CEOs and chairmen of 25 FTSE100 companies mentor women identified as having boardroom potential
A guide to women and the economy
Facts and Figures:Before entering the workforce in large numbers, women were buying mostly household items. Now, they have their own money to spend and are estimated to make up to 80% of buying decisions for a household.
Men were more likely to commit too much money to single risky investment ideas.
Better educated women are more productive and they raise healthier and better educated children.
Offering parental leave and child care, allowing flexible working hours, and reforming tax and social-security system that create disincentives for women to work.
Women have a lot of buying power.
Female investors have consistently have higher returns than men(survey by Digital Look)
Educating girls boosts prosperity and could be the single best investment made in the developing world.
Governments need to remove obstacles that make it hard for women to combine work with having children.
72
Not yet 50/50: Barriers to the Progress of Senior Women in the Australian Public Service
Facts and Figures:•According to the study, family commitments are a barrier to women in leadership roles because:•Women take on more primary care responsibilities than men•Organizational biases favor those without family commitments•Gender biases result in men and women assuming that women with children must choose between a demanding career and family life . •A reputation for responsiveness, a person who fit in with the organization’s culture, and “executive sponsors” or mentors, were important to all departments studied, but in those dominated by men, being driven and focused on outcomes, attributes which favor a more masculine communication style, were ranked as the most important qualities of leaders. Departments led by women were more open to a variety of leadership styles . •Workplace structures and cultures promote biases due to a preference to hire people that are similar to those already employed. This consequently perpetuates negative stereotypes of women and their ability to lead.
Summary: The study sponsored by the University of Canberra and six Australian Commonwealth Departments seeks to identify:
Why leadership has traditionally been a male domain and more specifically, what the barriers to women’s leadership in the Australian public sector are:
Identifies 3 possible reasons for the lack of the significant number of women in the highest ranks of government:
Competing priorities/family responsibilities hinder women from taking up demanding leadership roles
Negative male perceptions of a women’s ability to lead impeded women’s progression into leadership roles
Workplace structures and cultures hamper women’s progress by distilling processes of unconscious bias that afford comparative advantage to men with the requisite attributes and undermines the personal confidence of women
73
Facts and Figures contd.
• Ways to navigate around the barriers:• Committed leadership – educate on unconscious bias.• Talent management and succession planning –provide
structured career development for women; target recruitment of women and identify and develop them for leadership roles.
• Workplace flexibility – frame workplace flexibility as a practice that enhances productivity.
• Attraction, recruitment and selection –Encourage more women to apply for more jobs within the government and review job descriptions to eliminate gender bias.
• Support and development – seek out leadership programs focused on diversity training, establish mentoring programs.
• Governance and infrastructure – report annual data on diversity achievements, establish diversity councils to oversee departmental progress.
• The issue of unconscious bias in the Australian government must be addressed by current leaders, most of which are men.
74
