Women's role in narrowing gender gaps

The bridge between a middle-income nation and a developed nation is how much you 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲. In urban India, the % of educated women working in the formal sector remains abysmally low. In 2019, our research at LeadHers estimated that only 7-9% of educated women in urban India were in the formal workforce. Some data now suggests this is ~19%. Encouragingly, India’s female labor force participation rate (FLFPR) has improved to 37%, according to the latest reports. But is this enough? For many reasons, I like to look at the Vietnam model and how it has integrated women's workforce participation into its GDP growth. Vietnam's GDP per capita is around $4110, whereas India's around $2500. 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗟𝗙𝗣𝗥 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟲𝟴%. Could India take inspiration from Vietnam’s model? Well, the Vietnam model is not by chance. It is a result of many deliberate and thoughtful policies, particularly the 𝘿𝙤𝙞 𝙈𝙤𝙞 economic reforms of 1986, which transformed Vietnam’s economy. This and other policies led to- ✅ Opening markets to foreign investment, creating more jobs in services and industry ✅ Gender equality in education, preparing women for workforce participation ✅ Providing generous childcare and maternity benefits to support working mothers ✅ Setting targets for businesses to increase female workers ✅ Offering preferential tax incentives for companies that hire more women ✅ Expanding credit access for rural women in agriculture, forestry and fishing India has a critical opportunity here. Prioritising women in the formal, high value industries especially in STEM and leadership/management roles can significantly expand this talent pool driving productivity and innovation. According to a 2024 World Bank report, closing gender gaps in manufacturing alone could boost India’s economy by 9%. 𝗧𝗼 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽, 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿-𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲. 𝙎𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙. The question is: 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹? This is my wish for this year's Women's Day. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. #iwd2025

Happy International Women’s Day 💜 A gender gap persists in STEM globally. We’ve made progress, but women are still woefully under-represented. Tackling our greatest challenges - improving health to combating climate change to developing AI as a force for good - must harness all talent. Gender diversity expands and extends the talent pool and is essential as today’s technologies demand different ‘Power’ skills: ▪️Emotional Intelligence: to manage emotions and navigate interpersonal relationships effectively, enhancing teamwork and leadership in STEM ▪️ Collaboration: fostering effective teamwork, with a focus on joint problem-solving ▪️ Adaptability: STEM is moving fast, I see that every day, being able to quickly learn and adjust to is indispensable ▪️ Empathy: drives solutions that truly resonate with human needs ▪️ Creativity: Brings unique perspectives that fuel innovation ▪️ Ethics: development is responsible and beneficial for society However ▫️Women are given smaller research grants and, while 33.3% of all researchers, only 12% of STEM academics are women ▫️In cutting edge fields such as AI, only 1 in five (22%) is a woman ▫️Despite a shortage of skills driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28% of engineering and 40% of computer science graduates ▫️Female researchers have shorter, less well-paid careers. Their work is underrepresented in high-profile journals and they are more often passed over for promotion ▫️Although STEM fields are widely regarded as critical to economies, so far most countries have not achieved gender equality in STEM So what? Not only is this unethical, unfair it’s also misinformed, I mean stupid: ▪️The crash test dummy is a classic case. Initially, modelled on the average male body. Women were 47% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% to die in car crashes. Despite efforts, the gap in safety due to a lack of diverse testing persists ▪️Cardiovascular research has long been skewed towards men. Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed with heart attacks and treatment is less effective ▪️Trials for medications did not sufficiently account for gender in pharmacokinetics so dosages were based on male biology, women experience adverse drug reactions nearly 1.7 times more often ▪️Medical devices have focused on male anatomy, for example, women are 20% more likely to have a stroke or die within 30 days of being treated with stents for artery disease ▪️Voice recognition technologies were developed using data from men leading to error rates for women’s voices up to 70% higher ▪️Famously Amazon discovered that its AI-based screening was biased against women favoring male candidates by a significant margin ▪️Facial recognition has error rates of up to 34.7% for dark-skinned women, vs 0.8% for light-skinned men So, should you need it, today is a reminder that women play a critical role in STEMs and that our participation must be strengthened #iwd2024 #BeEqual #GenderEquality #DEI

International Women’s Day – where are all the women? 🤔 Gender diversity isn’t just a “nice to have” – it’s an economic game-changer. Companies with more women in leadership are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability . That’s a competitive edge 📈💡, not just good karma. And yet, women hold only ~23% of board seats globally – less than a quarter. 🤯 The gap at the top is real, and it’s not for lack of talent or ambition. So why aren’t there more women in those boardrooms and corner offices? Because no amount of celebratory social media posts will fix systemic issues overnight. Real change means tackling the root causes head-on. For example: => 🚧 Bias – conscious and unconscious biases still stall women’s advancement (from hiring to performance evaluations). => 👩👧 Unpaid care – women disproportionately juggle child care and household responsibilities, leaving less time and flexibility to climb the corporate ladder. => 🤝 Mentorship gap – fewer mentors/sponsors to pull women up to leadership roles, plus smaller professional networks due to historically male-dominated leadership. => 🏢 Broken rung – women often get stuck below executive level due to fewer promotions (the “broken rung” phenomenon), making it harder to reach the C-suite. Posting an #IWD headline or a one-day hashtag isn’t enough. Real progress requires concrete action: fair hiring and promotions, flexible work policies for work-life balance, equal parental leave, mentorship programs, and leaders actively calling out bias in the workplace. This International Women’s Day, let’s move beyond the lip service. Everyone has a role to play – as managers, colleagues, and allies – in changing the system. Mentor a woman. Advocate for diverse slates in your team. Challenge stereotypes when you hear them. Let’s make sure that in the near future, we won’t have to keep asking “Where are all the women?” – because they’ll be right there leading at the top. 💪🚀 #IWD2025 #GenderDiversity #EqualOpportunity

"Communities and countries, and ultimately the world, are only as strong as the health of their women," Michelle Obama once said. The impact of women’s health on our societies cannot be overlooked. The theme of today’s International Women’s Day is #InspireInclusion. To me, closing the gender health gap is an important requirement to create a truly inclusive society. Women are still underdiagnosed, undertreated, and underserved – often due to a historical lack of women-centric research and female health data. They face serious health risks because of this. Last year, a study suggested that women may be twice as likely to experience a fatal heart attack because of unrecognized unique risk factors. In its recent report on women’s health, the World Economic Forum revealed that women are diagnosed later than men: 4.5 years later for diabetes. 2.5 years for cancer. These years can cost lives. Genetics and environmental factors might be at play here, but gender bias is also an important factor. The latest #WEF report suggests that addressing this bias and closing the women’s health gap would allow 3.9 billion women to live healthier and higher-quality lives. As the gender health gap really is essentially a female data gap, AI and digitalization offer huge opportunities to transform women’s health. Health apps can facilitate access to services and empower women with technology that is tailored to their needs and lifestyles, for instance. AI can help process huge amounts of anonymized data that may help close the gap. I strongly believe that health equity and inclusion are about overcoming disparities, about looking for what unites us. However, in order to tackle the gender health gap, we must first acknowledge the differences. Male bodies have represented humanity for too long, with women treated as “small men”. The COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, proved just how untrue that is. It revealed the fundamental gender differences in the immune system – just one instance where a human organism’s gender matters. One interesting fact: Women account for almost 80 percent of people with autoimmune diseases. Immunologist Akiko Iwasaki, who was honored with the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research in 2023, has devoted herself to teasing apart the differences between the immune responses of men and women to COVID-19 and other viral infections. Incidentally, our very own female leader, Else Kröner, was an early advocate of better healthcare for women. In 1973, she joined the international women's association #Zonta and became one of its most active German leaders. To this day, Zonta remains committed to improving health access for women and among others to equal rights issues. From Else Kröner to Akiko Iwasaki, countless remarkable women have made tremendous contributions to improving women’s health. Kudos to their commitment! Let’s take this day as an opportunity to raise further awareness and to commit to advancing this important topic. #IWD2024

I was shocked when I realized the greatest challenge to closing the economic gender gap in Africa. And I think it's important everyone learns about it as well. Here goes: The greatest challenge to closing the gender gap, and why it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gap in Africa, is the significant perception vs. reality gap. Let me explain: According to research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) & United Nations Global Compact, who surveyed 4000 men and women across Africa, they found that more than 50% of men and women in Sub-Saharan Africa believe that there is gender parity and/or women are ahead in their country when it comes to various indicators, including equal pay for work of equal value. Ironically, about 40% of the same men and women surveyed believe that men are better leaders than women in analytical and technical skills as well as leadership abilities. In reality however, even though women in Sub-Saharan Africa have higher rates of participation (54%) in the economy than global averages, 90% of them work informally, predominantly in low-skilled jobs, given their historical gap in access to education. They hold only nearly a quarter of management positions, with only 16% of CEO/MD positions held by women. And though this rate has been growing over the past 20 years, with the current rate, it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gender gap on the continent. So, the question now is what needs to be done? We all need to play our part in addressing the barriers that hold women back: - Every business needs policies against discrimination and harassment. - Flexible options like remote work and flexible hours are essential for working parents and women. - Training staff on gender equality and offering skills training for women are smart investments. - Programs such as financial literacy and business mentorship are crucial for female entrepreneurs and the self-employed. - Providing better access to financial products is vital for entrepreneurs and should be prioritized by banks and other businesses. - Equal pay and benefits, along with better parental leave and caregiving support, are important goals. Women's participation in the economy greatly boosts a country's productivity and can significantly increase GDP—by up to 50% in Africa—thanks to the added workforce and the benefits of gender diversity. The study authored by Qahir Dhanani and team (Sanda Ojiambo, Tolulope Lewis Tamoka, Lina Al Qaddoumi, Zineb Sqalli, Natasha Lendich, Maxime Kpangbai) also revealed a fascinating trend: women-led startups deliver a whopping 10% higher ROI. And that's not all! It also suggested that income earned by women has a significantly greater impact on communities compared to income earned by men. These findings highlight the incredible potential of bridging the economic gender gap.

There's a lot of discussion about the gender gap in AI adoption. But not many seem to be asking why it exists - and what it means. I talked about this with Nina Benoit on her The AI Sustainability Podcast. The answer is not what most people think. Recent research shows that women's lower adoption of AI is driven less by skills or access than by systematic differences in how they perceive the societal risks of AI, such as mental health impacts, climate effects, privacy violations, labour disruption. Women express greater concern about AI's broader consequences, and these concerns directly influence their engagement with it. This isn't 'being behind'. It's thoughtful consideration. Here's what Nina and I discussed: ➡️ Why structural barriers matter more than individual ones. The gender gap won't be closed by telling women to 'lean in'. It will be closed by addressing legitimate concerns about how AI is built and deployed. It will also be closed by changing which AI innovations are funded. ➡️ Why representation isn't optional. When AI is shaped by a narrow group, it serves narrow interests. Fostering diverse leadership and diverse voices in AI isn't just about fairness; it's about creating technology that works for everyone. ➡️ What shifts the trajectory. When women see the societal benefits of AI being addressed properly, rather than dismissed, adoption increases substantially. Community, strategic education, perception and real influence over how AI develops all matter. We also discussed She Shapes AI's mission to amplify responsible AI leadership and entrepreneurship, and how our Executive AI Intensive programme helps leaders to develop the strategic skills needed to critically assess AI, ask the right questions, and lead its implementation confidently and responsibly. Listen to the full conversation 👇 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eJM8C4Ti Spotify: https://lnkd.in/ezmj5XRm DM me for a special AI Sustainability partner offer for our Executive AI Intensive course. _ _ _ I'm Julia Stamm, founder of She Shapes AI. I work with leaders navigating AI transformation with purpose and responsibility. If you're asking similar questions, let's connect.

New BMJ Global Health Commentary: Governing Health Systems With a Gender Lens I’m pleased to share a new BMJ Global Health commentary, written with my colleagues Aya Thabet and Anna Cocozza, on a topic that urgently needs attention: How health system governance can close—or widen—the women’s health gap. Women around the world experience, on average, nine additional years of poor health compared with men. This disparity is not just a clinical issue. It is a governance issue. For decades, health systems have relied on a narrow definition of women’s health, focusing predominantly on maternal and reproductive care. This has left significant gaps in areas such as chronic disease, mental health, menopause, autoimmune conditions, gender-based violence, and more. Our article argues that governance itself must change if we want health systems to deliver for women. Using the WHO’s Six Governance Behaviours framework, we examine how governments, regulators, and purchasers can integrate a gender lens into the rules, incentives, and decision-making processes that shape health systems. Here are some of the key insights: 1. Deliver strategy with measurable commitments Clear definitions, dedicated budgets, and accountability mechanisms across both the public and private sectors must back equity goals. 2. Build understanding through sex-disaggregated data If systems don’t collect it, they can’t govern it. Mandatory sex-disaggregated data and transparency are essential to closing gaps. 3. Enable stakeholders by aligning incentives Financing arrangements—particularly strategic purchasing—can reward equitable, women-centred care rather than perpetuating neglect. 4. Align structures through gender-responsive regulation Licensing, training, essential medicines lists, and facility standards must explicitly reflect women’s health needs across the life course. 5. Foster relations with meaningful partnerships Women’s organisations, professional associations, and patient groups are indispensable partners in designing governance arrangements that work. 6. Nurture trust with strong accountability systems Women must have access to safe, responsive grievance and redress mechanisms—and regulators must consistently enforce protections. Why this matters Health systems are not gender-neutral. Without intentional design, the rules and incentives that govern them will continue to reproduce inequalities. By applying a gender lens to governance, we can reposition women’s health as a core system priority, not a side issue—and build accountability for equitable, respectful, high-quality care. Governing Health Systems With a Gender Lens BMJ Global Health – Clarke, Thabet & Cocozza https://lnkd.in/dwXNka4a Join the conversation #WomensHealth #GenderEquity #HealthSystems #GlobalHealth #HealthGovernance #HealthPolicy #UniversalHealthCoverage #UHC #DigitalHealth #HealthReform #HealthEquity #Accountability #Regulation #StrategicPurchasing #BMJGlobalHealth

$770 billion. That's the value India leaves untapped by not closing its gender gap. Not a statistic to skim over, but an opportunity hiding in plain sight. This Women's Day, I turned to data instead of quote cards. And the story it tells is far more layered than the headlines. In the last six years, women's workforce participation has risen from 23.3% to 41.7%. Nearly 68% of MUDRA loan beneficiaries are women. Gender budgets have grown more than fourfold in a decade. The shift is underway, slow but visible. Yet some patterns hold steady. Women still spend almost six hours a day on unpaid household work. They make up just 43% of STEM students. And despite similar ideas and credentials, women founders find it harder to access capital. The recent Economic Survey puts this in perspective. Women's participation in the economy isn't a social metric; it's a growth lever. India will need close to 55% female participation by 2050 to sustain its ambitions. Even a modest rise, Goldman Sachs says, could add a full percentage point to GDP. Working in education has made this real for me. Every time girls get access, they deliver consistently. The bottleneck was never talent; it was opportunity. At RP Goenka International School, 77.5% of our staff are women, a deliberate choice rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives make institutions stronger, more empathetic, and better equipped to shape young minds. When women lead in education, students see possibility modeled every single day. So this Women's Day, maybe we trade wishes for action. Mentor a girl in STEM. Back a woman-led startup. Pass along an opportunity to someone restarting her career. Because change rarely begins with celebration. It begins with inclusion. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInLeadership #GenderEquality #WomenInEducation #EconomicEmpowerment

You’re in the right seat - but still not invited to drive. That’s the reality facing many women on the path to CEO. According to the Eos Foundation’s 2025 Women’s Power Gap CEO Report, women now hold 24% of the critical ‘launchpad’ roles - that is, President, COO, Division Head - in S&P 100 companies. These are the roles that traditionally lead to the CEO role. Yet only 8% of CEOs appointed from these launchpad roles are women. The issue isn’t readiness. It’s access. Women are showing up in the right places. But when it comes to final decisions the system still tilts against them. The study found: 👉 Women CEOs are equally, if not more qualified (than men) 👉 Women are 32% more likely to have to serve an extra step en route to CEO 👉 Women are over-represented in non-P&L roles 👉 Women face a 67% drop off from launchpad roles to CEO 👉 Women of colour are barely represented in the most senior ranks 👉 CFO roles are good launchpad roles for women To close this gap, the report suggests 4 key actions: 1. Ensure women and under-represented groups get P&L experience 2. Tackle selection bias head on 3. Formalise sponsorship programmes for under-represented talent in the leadership pipeline 4. CEOs and the C-suite should act as Chief Talent Officers with personal involvement in nurturing succession talent, particularly those from minoritised groups. They should also role model family-friendly work practices What is your organisation doing to prepare women for C-suite and CEO roles? I'd love to hear some best practice sharing on this. #GenderEquity #WomenInLeadership #SuccessionPlanning #ShapeTalent

Addressing the gender gap in #edleadership isn't just about equality—it's a strategic imperative for our schools and communities. My latest Forbes Business Council Forbes piece argues that moving beyond good intentions is crucial to elevate more women in leadership.   Key findings: • Diverse leadership improves financial performance and decision-making • Women leaders contribute unique perspectives and problem-solving approaches • Women leaders inspire the next generation, creating a positive cycle • Diverse leadership styles bring vitality to educational institutions   Actionable strategies: 1. Prioritize transparency: Set voluntary diversity targets and track progress publicly 2. Create support systems: Implement family-friendly policies and professional networks 3. Encourage community action: Train hiring managers to recognize and overcome biases 4. Build inclusive cultures: Focus on community-building and student engagement   As Melinda French Gates notes, male-dominated fields often reinforce biases. The systemic barriers holding back #WomenLeadingEd don't just hurt women; they deprive our institutions of exceptional talent and diverse perspectives.   When women lead, our schools and communities thrive. Let's commit to both systemic reforms and personal action: • Conduct pay equity audits • Implement coaching and sponsorship programs • Create pathways for women of color in leadership • Foster male allyship in championing gender equality   Read more on how we can make real progress and why it matters:   https://lnkd.in/gubE5FPH   #WomenLeadingEd #EducationLeadership #GenderEquality #LeadershipMatters