Female empowerment has always been a topic of conversation, and this effort will be front and center in the coming year as women are increasingly empowered as entrepreneurs and in business-wide settings.
Entrepreneurship is on the rise, and women like Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, and Tory Burch, CEO of Tory Burch, are prime examples of successful women-owned ventures. Recent statistics have shown the increasing power of women and how they are coming forward in these roles as compared to previous years.
According to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the Total Entrepreneurship Activity (TEA) of women in the 63 economies studied increased by 10% between the 2015 and 2016 reports, which closed the gender gap by 5%. This increase is advantageous for the future in terms of economic redevelopment and better employee engagement.
Being engaged myself with many IT firms and other businesses, I believe that hearing everyone’s voice is integral and of high priority for a business to be successful. The global economy is adversely affected because of the often inequitable opportunities for women in the workplace. By comprehending each and every employee’s needs and recognizing their achievements, irrespective of gender, companies can work to empower women — and all staff — equally.
This invaluable support by senior management will enhance happiness and confidence levels. When women feel good about themselves within the workplace, more and more will develop the self-confidence and self-reliance needed to start something of their own and come forward as successful entrepreneurs.
I have seen many women who are part of IT organizations get asked, “Why are you in IT?” As if IT isn’t for women. I feel that working with influential women brings out distinctive characteristics to a company’s culture, which further benefits employees. For instance, I see this in their management style, which often allows flex-time schedules and a focus on health and wellness. I strongly feel that more companies must embrace policies to hire an equal ratio of men and women and take steps to empower women when necessary in order to encourage voices to be equally heard.
From my own experience and practices at my agency, here are some ways managers can empower their female employees and create gender equality within their companies.