Welcome to Season 1, episode 4 of Breaking with Tradition, Catalyst’s podcast that explores trends and ideas that will impact the future of the global workplace. This episode is called Women Money Power.

We know that women across the globe make less money than men. The gap may vary among countries, but it is a persistent pattern caused by a variety of systemic factors including job segregation, differences in education, and a lack of pay transparency, discrimination, and bias.

Some would say, however, that the gender pay gap is because “women aren’t ambitious.” And financial journalist and author Josie Cox has a lot of evidence to the contrary.

Join host Lucy Kallin as she sits down with Josie to discuss her latest book Women Money Power: The Rise and Fall of Economic Equality. Together, they discuss the century-old workplace design that holds back working mothers, recent legislative efforts to make salaries more transparent, as well as the trailblazing women who have contributed to the seismic progress in women’s economic empowerment we have today.

How can companies and employees work collectively to close the gap and create workplaces that better support people of all genders, including men? Listen to find out!

Hosts and guest

Lucy Kallin, Executive Director, EMEA, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Josie Cox is a journalist, author, broadcaster and public speaker. She’s worked on staff for Reuters, The Independent and The Wall Street Journal. As a freelancer, she’s covered the intersection of gender and the economy for The Washington Post, The Spectator, Guardian, Business Insider, MSNBC, Forbes and other publications.

Josie has appeared on CNN, ABC, PBS, CNBC, public radio and a host of other networks. She regularly contributes to the BBC, both as a writer and broadcaster and is a founding editor of The Persistent.

Website | LinkedIn

In this episode

• 1:04 | Are women less ambitious than men? Josie and Lucy discuss the myth of the “unambitious mother.”
• 6:22 | Breaking away from false perceptions. What can individuals and companies do to combat bias?
• 12:54 | Trailblazers in Women Money Power. Josie talks about some of the women who changed history under the radar.
• 20:08 | Is gender equity a zero-sum game for men? We still tend to frame gender as a woman’s issue.
• 24:22 | Pay transparency regulation. Is it effective? What are some of the bright spots?
• 29:12 | The main takeaway from Women Money Power. Lucy asks Josie what she hopes readers get from her book.

Favorite moments

• 4:40 | Josie: And I think what we have to do, and it’s our duty as a society, is to recognize that when it looks like a woman might not be as ambitious as a man, we have to ask ourselves: what are the parameters, the constructs, the infrastructure that are preventing her from being able to make the choices that make her look ambitious in the way that we understand ambition?
• 5:52 | Lucy: It’s not about fixing the women… It’s about changing the infrastructure where women are working and making them more accessible and places where ambitions are allowed to grow, whatever that might look like. Because I do believe that organizations that do that will be the ones that will be around for a long time and will be successful.
• 6:49 | Josie: We need to be able to have conversations in the workplace that shed a light on the lived experiences of people who are perhaps not always given the opportunity to be the most vocal.
• 7:44 | Josie: On an operational level, what I would really like to see is organizations that have the courage to really self-reflect and say, okay, why am I doing the things I’m doing? And what is this design rooted in?
• 10:50 | Josie: And one of the most interesting things that I saw coming out of the pandemic—before corporations snapped back to the pre-COVID way of working—was this openness to hybrid working. We saw a steep rise in women’s labor force participation among women with young kids. And that was because they were finally able to do their work in the paid labor market from home, around their caregiving responsibilities they have.
• 22:49 | Josie: When we talk about gender inequality, a) we still tend to frame it as a women’s problem. In workplaces, conversations about the gender pay gap still tend to be the domain of women. On the other hand, b) we haven’t really spent enough time considering the role of men in the unpaid labor market and really advocating for changes there. I think it is our duty to address the other side of the equation.
• 28:06 | Josie: [Companies need to] spell out the effect that pay transparency can have on your organization. If you abide by not just the letter, but also the spirit of [transparency] laws, if you create that transparency, and therefore that trust within your workforce, you are undoubtedly likely to have a better retention rate.

Mentioned on the Pod

• U.S. Department of Labor: Mothers’ employment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but the child care crisis persists
• Business Insider: A History of How the 40-Hour Workweek Became the Norm in America
• PBS: Katharine Dexter McCormick (1875-1967)
• The New Yorker: The Many Lives of Pauli Murray
• Amazon: Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It

Research you can use

• Women’s Earnings: The Pay Gap (Quick Take)
• HR, Take Note: Employees Want Pay Transparency. Smart Companies Are Listening.
• Equal Pay Starts With Pay Transparency: Step-By-Step Guide for HR Leaders
• 5 Ways To Close The Gender Pay Gap
• Time Is Ticking for the EU Pay Transparency Directive
• Survey Finds Four in Ten Working Mothers Likely to Change Jobs Because of Childcare Issues

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The post Episode 104: Women Money Power appeared first on Catalyst.

Heather Foust-Cummings, Chief Research & Development Officer talks to lauded labor economist and 2023 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Dr. Claudia Goldin about her research and the significant impact childcare challenges have on women in the workplace. This interview was shared as part of the 2024 Catalyst Awards.

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Transcript

00:00:04.135
Every year businesses lose more than $12.7 billion due to childcare challenges. The lack of stability in childcare has an outsized impact on women. Catalyst found that in the United States,
roughly four in 10 women, or 44% say they will likely need to change jobs to balance childcare with work demands compared to 37% of men.

We sat down with Dr. Claudia Goldin, who recently won the Swedish Central Bank Prize in economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel for her extensive research on women in the labor market. She is just the third woman to win the prize and the first to do so solo.

00:00:54.795
Claudia, your work aligns directly with the Catalyst mission. Could you share how your research has followed the trajectory of women in the workplace?

00:01:04.545
Uh, certainly in the 1970s. And what’s interesting is it aligns perfectly with when Catalyst began and the Catalyst mission. We had revolutionary change, and I call that the quiet revolution. And some of that was set in motion by the fact that women began to be able to do a much better job controlling their own fertility. And the marriage age rose by quite a bit, and we pivoted from addressing and helping individual women to really focusing on corporations and making workplaces more inclusive, recognizing organizations and companies that had successfully advanced women.

00:01:47.775
Given the developments that we’re seeing in the labor force today, what is the work that we still need to do in order to achieve greater equity?

00:01:57.825
So there’s work in terms of care. So what we realized, the other thing that we realized during the pandemic was that school isn’t just teaching children. It’s actually keeping children safe and allowing individuals, mainly their parents to be productive citizens and productive workers. And we realized the tremendous importance of care. Couples are always faced with the problem that if they have care responsibilities, and in general, couples with children have great care responsibilities, both members of the couple cannot take that greedy job. They can both take a flexible job. Mm-Hmm.

But the, to the extent that the greedy job is really greedy, it means that you’re leaving a fair amount of money on the table. Well, it turns out that by and large, uh, when couples give up couple equity and one takes the greedy job and one takes the flexible job, they generally also throw gender equality under the bus with it. Because in general, it’s the woman who takes the flexible job.

She, by the way, also has the joys of seeing her kids do things first and do many things that her husband, the father of the child, might not have the ability to, to see and partake in.

And so even in jobs in which wages are fixed equal for men and women, men make a lot more because they are able to take, even for lower income jobs, the greedier job, it means that couples different sex or same sex couples are no longer going to have to give up as much couple equity.
And that’s important for everybody.

00:04:06.365
I think it’s so telling, when you talk about the contributions that women make, you talk about the value of what women are providing in the home. It, it’s something that is, uh, a personal passion of mine, uh, in terms of really addressing the issues of of marginalized groups, particularly racially and ethnically marginalized groups. And so, um, I think as you tell your story
of the history of, of the women’s movement and, um, women in the United States, I look forward to
that aspect of the story.

00:04:41.315
Certainly.

The post Video: Dr. Claudia Goldin Talks Childcare and Greedy Jobs appeared first on Catalyst.

The 2024 Awards was an exciting opportunity to see this year’s theme—the Catalyst Effect—in action: a group of individuals drawn together by their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and respectful and rewarding work environments collectively using their influence to create a massive wave of change.

This year’s Awards was also Catalyst’s first time to include a land acknowledgement recognizing Indigenous Peoples as the traditional stewards of this land, movingly delivered by Elisa Leary, Senior Vice President, People & Culture, Catalyst.

Watch our sizzle reel to view highlights of the day, demonstrating what our community experienced together and the many critical topics we dove into.

The morning’s events were headlined by the showstopping Caroline Wanga, President & CEO of Essence Ventures and Co-Founder of WangaWoman. Caroline talked about her experience finding her own authentic self and emphasized the importance of centering corporate DEI initiatives around humans and humanity.

Anna Manuzzi, Senior Associate, Supporter Success EMEA, Catalyst shares her favorite Caroline Wanga teachings.

The event closed with a lively interactive multi-generational panel focused on the impact Gen Z is having on the workplace and DEI overall. Victoria Kuketz, Director of Supporter Success, Canada, Catalyst shares the top three things she learned from these leaders.

The day was filled with powerhouse speakers from Hillary Rodham Clinton, former US Secretary of State, US Senator, and First Lady to Reshma Saujani, CEO & Founder of Moms First and DEI practitioner Vernā Myers. All shared personal stories of struggle, discrimination, and progress.

Joylene Ceballos, Director, US Supporter Success, Catalyst shares how these personal stories have impacted her and how we can all leverage them in our work to be more inclusive.

Gender partnership and the importance of supporting one another, especially through sponsorship and mentorship, were also themes echoed throughout the conference.

Derrick Brown-Ritchel, Director, US Supporter Success, Catalyst talks about the ripple effect that women leaders can have throughout an organization.

You are the Catalyst Effect! As our community demonstrates, together we are creating a wave of systemic change for more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

Want more? Here are three things you can do right now.

1. Catch more insights on our Catalyst Awards page.
2. Join us on 11 March 2025 for next year’s Conference and Dinner.
3. Do you have a successful gender equity and DEI program? Apply for the Catalyst Award by 10 May 2024.

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The post The 2024 Catalyst Awards: The Catalyst Effect in Action appeared first on Catalyst.

With a lack of childcare options—which is set to worsen with the end of federal pandemic-era subsidies for the childcare sector—35% of women with children say they will likely need to stop working altogether to manage the childcare they need.

Four in ten (44%) women say they will likely need to change jobs to balance childcare with work demands, compared to 37% of men. Additionally, the burden of changing jobs in order to balance childcare with work demands is disproportionately falling on parents of color, with half of Black and Hispanic/Latine working parents saying they will need to change jobs, compared to 34% of White employees with children.

The survey also finds that two thirds (67%) of women are concerned that their childcare responsibilities will negatively affect their career, compared to 52% of men.

“Three years ago, at the start of a workplace-changing pandemic, we thought we’d see a watershed moment for women in the workplace,” said Lorraine Hariton, Catalyst’s president and CEO. “This data reveals that while the workplace has changed in many ways, the struggle for working parents—especially women and parents of color—remains. We have a long way to go in bridging the gap between what working parents need and what they’re getting. Solving this problem will require systemic change—both public and private.”

Employers have a critical role to play

Half of employees with children have considered leaving their organization because of a lack of childcare benefits.

More than half (55%) of those surveyed say that without financial assistance or subsidies from their organization, they are unable to afford childcare, while three-quarters (75%) would use childcare benefits, such as onsite childcare and back-up or emergency childcare, if their organization provided them.

Seventy percent of working parents say they are more likely to choose an employer that provides childcare benefits over one that does not. Additionally, 59% of employees would use caregiving benefits for elder care or the care of other relatives if available from their organization.

Benefits are not one-size-fits-all

Paid childcare isn’t the only corporate-subsidized benefit important to working parents; help for working parents can come from a mixture of supportive services and corporate offerings. Benefits might include paid emergency care days for children or elders, financial subsidies, on-site childcare, flex spending accounts, flexible and hybrid work options, and employee discounts for childcare.

Catalyst research has suggested that providing more innovative, flexible, and creative benefit programs helps increase employee retention and productivity and reduces missed work.

“Employees are making decisions on where and if they work based on their childcare needs,” added Hariton. “Employers have a critical role to play and must help find innovative solutions for working parents—especially if they are going to keep good talent.”

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Catalyst from June 26 – 28, 2023, among 1,086 US adults ages 18 and older employed full or part time. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. View the full findings at www.catalyst.org.

Catalyst is a global nonprofit supported by many of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with preeminent thought leadership, actionable solutions, and a galvanized community of multinational corporations to accelerate and advance women into leadership—because progress for women is progress for everyone.

Contacts
Mariana Vanin
Director, Global Communications
Catalyst
mvanin@catalyst.org

Stephanie Wolf
US Communications Consultant
Catalyst
stephanie@stephaniewolfpr.com /a>

The post Survey Finds Four in Ten Working Mothers Likely to Change Jobs Because of Childcare Issues (Media Release) appeared first on Catalyst.

11am-11:45am EST   |   8am-8:45am PST   |   4pm-4:45pm CET

When companies prioritize the needs of women in frontline roles, they increase satisfaction, morale, engagement, and performance. But how can leaders build workplaces that work for frontline women? In this webinar, Catalyst will unveil new cutting-edge research, in partnership with Accenture, and actionable product toolkits for frontline executives and managers that will offer resources and best practices for advancing equity in the workplace. Hear from industry leaders in retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and DEI who will unpack:

• The unique challenges and inequities faced by frontline women and how you can best show up to support them
• Effective strategies you can implement for fostering a culture of inclusion and dialogue
• New tools to equip your frontline and executive leaders with to serve as equity champions and influencers

Speakers:

Paula Hornbaker, Product Executive, Catalyst and P&G Secondee

Erica Pollard, Vice-President, Human Resources, Marriott International

Negin Sattari, Director of Research, Catalyst

Lori Zumwinkle, North America Retail Industry Lead and Senior Managing Director, Accenture

Moderator

Erin Souza-Rezendes, Vice President, Global Communications, Catalyst

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Webinar: Women on the Front Line: Enabling Them to Thrive, Stay, and Perform appeared first on Catalyst.

Watch this panel discussion centered on employee engagement and creating a sense of belonging in today’s work environment. Together, we explore non-traditional employee benefits and discuss the direct link between benefits and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

More specifically, our panel of Catalyst experts examine and discuss the following areas:

• Ways companies can cultivate a sense of belonging to increase employee engagement in different work environments and its impact on employee retention.
• Explore ways HR benefits and policies work to enhance workplace inclusion as a component of recruitment and retention strategies.
• Discuss how employee wellness programs and other non-financial incentives influence employee satisfaction.
• Unpack methods to measuring employee engagement, identify tips to analyze results and insights, and identify areas of opportunities.

Speakers

Stacey Bain, Chief Operating Officer, Catalyst

Aledia Evans, Senior Director, US Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

Jessica Klein, CPA, Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Humana

Moderator

Allison Conklin, Director, US Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

The post Virtual Roundtable Recording: Reignite Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Through Inclusive Benefits and Policies appeared first on Catalyst.

Join the Catalyst team as we host a panel discussion centered on employee engagement and creating a sense of belonging in today’s work environment. Together, we will explore non-traditional employee benefits and discuss the direct link between benefits and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

More specifically, our panel of Catalyst experts will examine and discuss the following areas:

• Ways companies can cultivate a sense of belonging to increase employee engagement in different work environments and its impact on employee retention.
• Explore ways HR benefits and policies work to enhance workplace inclusion as a component of recruitment and retention strategies
• Discuss how employee wellness programs and other non-financial incentives influence employee satisfaction
• Unpack methods to measuring employee engagement, identify tips to analyze results and insights, and identify areas of opportunities.

We invite executive leaders, managers, HR leaders, DEI practitioners, and champions of inclusion to join the discussion. The event is complimentary for Catalyst Supporters. Registration is mandatory.

Speakers

Stacey Bain, Chief Operating Officer, Catalyst

Aledia Evans, Senior Director, US Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

Jessica Klein, CPA, Senior Vice President, Total Rewards, Humana

Moderator

Allison Conklin, Director, US Corporate Engagement, Catalyst

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access registration. If you are NOT a Catalyst Supporter, please email us to proceed with payment and registration. For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

The post Virtual Roundtable: Reignite Employee Satisfaction and Engagement Through Inclusive Benefits and Policies appeared first on Catalyst.

Catalyst has your back. We surveyed our community of staff and freelance talent—who are privileged to be able to work remotely from home and/or flexibly—and asked them to share their secrets and tips to keep your kids busy in the summer. Here’s what they revealed.

FOR CHILDREN 2-9

1. 1. Create a sensory-play zone.
      Angelina Lawrence is a freelance graphic designer with three children, ages eight, six, and two. On rainy days, or when it’s too hot to play outside, she sets up sensory play for her youngest child. “Tupperware, dried beans you forgot about in your pantry, a few small cans, and a couple of measuring spoons lead to some serious toddler fun,” Angelina reports. “I’ve had my tot request this activity three times in a day. Caution: Beans will be spilled, but you can get some work done!” Adds Jed Selkowitz, Chief Marketing Officer, “We also use pasta and rice, but that gets everywhere! You can also introduce small stones and shells that you find throughout the summer.”
   2. Create an obstacle course in your backyard.
      On sunny days, Angelina sets up hula hoops, bouncy balls, and a sprinkler to jump over in her yard as an obstacle course. “This gives me time to work on my latest design project on the patio.” Even better: Her kids are invariably inspired to create their own course, “which gives me even more time to work.”

1. Make activities plug-and-play. Erin Souza-Rezendes, Vice President of Global Communications, keeps a rolling “art cart” in the kitchen “stocked with paint, brushes, paper, markers, and stickers” for her nine-year-old daughter. “Art projects are always a ‘yes’ activity—no need to interrupt a working grownup to ask for permission or to reach things on high shelves. The fact that the art supplies are right by the kitchen table and sink makes self-directed play and cleanup easy.”

FOR CHILDREN 10 AND UP

1. Set up your kids for financial responsibility with a neighborhood bake sale—and donate the proceeds to teach generosity. “My kids love to bake,” says Joy Ohm, Vice President, Science Writer and Advisor. “They spend a few days in the kitchen making cookies, brownies, muffins, and scones, and then they have a bake sale for the neighborhood, which keeps them outside for most of that day and generates money they can donate to a good cause.”
2. Get out the activity books.Catalyst freelance editor and writer Elizabeth Reich has two children, eight and ten. When she and her husband are working, they give the kids activity books, 3D puzzles, and arts and crafts activities they can do without parental assistance. “I try to remember that it’s healthy for kids to be a little bored!” Elizabeth adds. In fact, sometimes “that’s when they come up with their best ideas, and being bored allows them to decompress after the pressures of school and other activities.”
3. Visit the local library. Joy’s local library is close by, so her kids can walk there by themselves. “The library allows children ten and older to be there without a parent. They choose several books, stop at the nearby bubble tea shop for a special treat, and then come home with lots of new books they are excited to read.”
4. Help your kids develop their imaginations and create storybooks.Angelina’s two older kids take several sheets of paper and crayons and use their imagination to create their own storybooks to read at bedtime. They take turns serving as the author and illustrator of their creations. Not only do they work together, but they create the activity they’ll do that night. No arguing about what to read before bed!
5. Say yes to any activity involving exercise and some independence. “My husband and I have aligned that this summer is about supporting more ‘adulting’ experiences for our 13-year-old daughter,” reports Paula Hornbaker, a Product Executive working on Catalyst’s Frontline Employees Initiative. “So, things like walking to a local restaurant for lunch with friends, riding her bike to get ice cream, and meeting friends to hang out with at the pool or local park get high levels of support from us.”
6. Make peace with screens.Erin knows how to make screentime work for her. “Have a 30-minute meeting? Set a timer for 30 minutes,” she advises, “and offer age-appropriate screentime with a pre-approved learning game or TV show.”
7. Encourage small ways to make some of their own money. Paula encourages her teenage daughter to make some extra cash beyond her normal household responsibilities and allowance. “Small doses of baby- or pet-sitting are perfect for her to increase responsibility and get the experience of earning her own money without taking away the freedoms that come with summer.”
8. Assign your child age-appropriate chores—and educate them about gender equity. “When my 12-year-old son was younger,” says Vice President of Community Growth and Engagement Megan Kincaid Kramer, “an often-heard phrase around our home was: ‘If you have time for screens, you have time to clean.’” Megan and her husband, an educator whose summer break schedule largely matched their son’s, maintained a list of age-appropriate chores that kept him busy, helped him build valuable life skills, and took some household to-dos off their list. Adds Megan, “Given that in 2023, women still pick up a heavier load when it comes to household chores and caregiving responsibilities, I know that making sure my son has the skills and practice to contribute to his household one day is an important part of continued gender equity.”

Feature image: Paula Hornbaker and family.

The post 11 Ways to Keep Little and Big Kids Engaged When School Is Out, But You Still Need to Work (Blog Post) appeared first on Catalyst.

In August 2014, I decided to quit my full-time corporate job to spend time with my son, who was two and a half years old at the time. The immense joy I experienced bonding with him was quickly tarnished by feelings of guilt for not contributing financially to our home for the first time in my life, despite being in no financial need.

This sense of guilt transformed into a loss of my sense of self: Was I still a man if I did not contribute financially to the well-being of my family? Was my desire to take care of my son legitimate? And what did this questioning say about my perceptions of women and caregiving?

This challenging experience revealed deep-rooted biases I had about gender roles and caregiving. Many of us harbor these biases, and often they are revealed at gendered holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day and Fathers’ Day are important celebrations recognizing the role and impact of parental figures in our lives. However, many workplaces still lack the culture and infrastructure to assist and accommodate the parents and caregivers in their employ. Many parents still face difficulties in making work work for their needs.

Getting Past the Stigma Faced by Working Parents

Parents and caregivers are stigmatized in the workplace, even today, regardless of their gender identity. And while women’s careers can be stunted by their caregiving responsibilities, caregiving men often feel they can’t even commit to those responsibilities without feeling judged for doing so.

The burden of unpaid work remains a significant barrier for mothers in the paid labor force. A 2018 analysis showed that across the world, women perform more than three-quarters (76.2%) of unpaid care work—including looking after children, spouses, partners, or other family members.

Working mothers still face discrimination and judgment in the workplace and often experience a “motherhood penalty” including bias and reduced opportunities at work. As Business Insider says, “The motherhood penalty is a term describing career challenges women face after having a child. It’s based on biased, stereotypical views of mothers, like the notion that they’re less productive.” These biases can lead to fewer opportunities for women to advance in their careers or to make choices that benefit their families, such as taking time off to care for a sick child.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated women’s time spent on unpaid household and caregiving responsibilities. Globally, according to Bloomberg, women spent three times as many hours on unpaid childcare in 2020 than men—an average of 173 additional hours versus 59. A Catalyst-CNBC survey also revealed that 41% of mothers working in the US said they believed they had to hide their caregiving struggles from their employer. Unequal distribution of caregiving and lack of support from employers remain barriers for women at work even after the pandemic, the Washington Post showed.

Men who take on caregiving responsibilities often face a significant amount of social stigma and pressure to conform to traditional gender roles. In the workplace, this can manifest in a number of ways, such as the assumption that fathers are less committed to their careers or less capable of balancing work and family responsibilities.

Catalyst released a groundbreaking report revealing that 94% of men experience masculine anxiety in the workplace. Masculine anxiety is the distress men feel when they do not think they are living up to society’s rigid standards of masculinity. It’s often heightened by combative work cultures.

Men at work are largely not okay. The anxiety preventing them from interrupting sexism at work is the same anxiety preventing men from admitting failure, asking for help, or taking advantage of flexible workplace policies such as remote work, vacation days, and parental leave.

Men may also feel pressure to prioritize their careers over their families, even when they desire to be more involved in their children’s lives.

This pressure can make it difficult for men to take advantage of family-friendly policies and benefits without fear of being stigmatized or losing status in the workplace. As a result, many men may choose not to take advantage of these policies, which can continue to perpetuate traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Additionally, these men will miss the opportunity to spend more time with their children.

Embrace a Holistic View of Caregiving

How can we stop the penalization of women caregivers and normalize men caregivers at work? It starts with de-emphasizing the gender of the carer. Instead of “maternity leave” and “paternity leave,” we can circulate the gender-neutral term “parental leave.” Instead of talking about who has to leave early because they are a “mom,” we can say they are working flex to accommodate childcare responsibilities. Better yet, we can say they are working flex, and leave it at that.

It’s also important to recognize that caregiving responsibilities go beyond parenting, and can include caring for elderly or disabled relatives, partners, and friends. Many members of the workforce are caring for someone other than their own children. These caregivers often face similar stigmas and challenges as parents, and it’s important for leaders in the workplace to acknowledge and support their needs as well.

By expanding our understanding of caregiving, we can create a workplace culture that is more inclusive and supportive of all caregivers, regardless of their relationship to the person they are caring for. This can include offering resources and benefits that are relevant to a wide range of caregiving responsibilities, such as flexible work arrangements, access to mental health resources, and support groups for caregivers.

By taking a holistic approach to caregiving, we can create a workplace culture that values and supports all employees and helps them balance their personal and professional responsibilities.

Take Action

Leaders in organizations have a unique opportunity to create a workplace culture that values caregiving responsibilities and supports caregivers.

Here are five practical steps that leaders can take to degender care and support caregivers of all genders:

Offer flexible work arrangements: Leaders can provide flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours, to accommodate the caregiving responsibilities of caregivers.

Provide access to affordable childcare: Leaders can partner with childcare providers or offer subsidies to support working parents.

Provide gender-free paid leave for caregiving responsibilities: Leaders can offer paid leave for caregiving responsibilities, such as caring for sick family members or newborns, to support caregivers regardless of their gender identity.

Address bias in performance evaluations: Leaders can address gender bias in performance evaluations, such as assumptions that mothers are less committed to their jobs, to ensure that all caregivers are evaluated fairly.

Address systemic barriers: Leaders can address systemic barriers that prevent men caregivers and working mothers from accessing opportunities for career development and advancement, such as unconscious bias or outdated policies.

Photo of the author by Marina, Your Local Photographer, Cartagena

The post Beyond the Binary for Mother’s and Father’s Day (Blog Post) appeared first on Catalyst.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, and of women across all their intersecting identities, join Catalyst for a vibrant discussion on leveraging your sphere of influence to forge a fair and equal world.  

Topics of discussion will include:  

• The social and economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic; how the pandemic negatively impacted the progress on gender equity. 
• Addressing the barriers that keep women and girls from being fully active in their homes, economies, and societies. 
• Driving change through collective activism—from grassroots action to wide-scale momentum. 
• The critical role of allyship in forging gender equity as well as the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women. 

Speakers

Sonia Sande

Consulting Talent Leader at EY Americas

Raashi Sikka

VP for Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at Ubisoft

Emily Zuckerman, JD, PhD

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer Lead, Frontline Employees Initiative at Catalyst

Moderator

Nisha Singh

Senior Director, Marketing at Catalyst

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access the recording.

The post International Women’s Day (IWD): Impacting Positive Change by Embracing Equity Webinar Recording appeared first on Catalyst.