At Zoo Advisors, we’re strongly committed to environmental and social justice, so we take International Women’s Day seriously. This year, the UN’s theme of “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” could not be better suited to our mission. We’re accustomed to examining and solving problems through a variety of lenses – be it gender, BIPOC, sustainability, or data-driven.
Many on our team have spoken eloquently about the importance of focusing on women’s empowerment. As a member of our data team, I’ll speak to that same mission in the language of numbers. Beyond the moral imperative to establish a fair and safe environment for all, it’s now well-established that improvements in gender equality result in healthier and better educated kids, stronger economies, greater racial equality, and more sustainable development.
First, it’s important to acknowledge the progress that’s been made in the struggle to achieve gender equality over recent decades:
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Political leadership and representation of women in leadership is up, with 28 women currently serving as Heads of State and/or Government compared to just 15 in 2017
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Women now make up an almost equal part of the U.S. workforce where participation grew from just under 38% in 1960 to 56% this year
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Women-owned U.S. company revenues have increased by 103% over the last 20 years
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Enrollment in primary and secondary education is now equally balanced between boys and girls internationally, a major improvement from the 90 girls to 100 boys enrolled in 1995
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Women’s enrollment in tertiary education has tripled in the last 25 years
However, there’s still much work to be done while confronting new challenges that could set us back significantly. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women around the world over the last two years. Women lost jobs at a faster rate, devoted even more time to unpaid care responsibilities, and dealt with an increase in GBV during the pandemic. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, the estimated time frame for closing the global gender gap has increased a full generation – from almost 100 years to just over 135. Furthermore, progress toward equality for marginalized groups is threated by increasing military activity, especially in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
While we can’t individually prevent war or pandemics, there are still many ways that we can bolster gender equality efforts in our own institutions:
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Amplify women’s voices – especially in video meetings. Give time for idea sharing and credit where it’s due.
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Mentor and be a role model for women. Give women the opportunity to mentor other women and men.
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Have women, especially women of color, in your candidate pool for C-suite positions. If you don’t have any qualified candidates for top leadership roles, don’t let the process end there. Start mentoring and including women in the tier once, twice, or thrice removed.
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Examine your policies as an institution and make sure that they support women in their careers.
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Fair parental leave policies. Policies that offer no paid leave inherently favor households in which men are the primary breadwinner. Similarly, if no paid leave is offered to men, then the burden of childcare is bound to fall disproportionately on women.
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Considerate facilities, such as a lactation room
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Use data to ensure that policies, hiring, and other programs are fair – e.g., that employees in comparable positions with comparable skill levels have comparable wages.
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Support women-owned businesses and institutions where possible.
We can all take actionable steps to improve gender equality and empower women in our conservation-based institutions. We need look no further than our own amazing colleagues in the zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden space to find inspirational women who champion both equality and sustainability every day.
Over the course of the month, we’ll bring you stories from some of these remarkable leaders in our Women Making History series to inspire us through these tumultuous times and help us redouble our efforts to build a sustainable future for all.
