6 mindset shifts driving gender equity
The first step toward workplace gender equity is a shift in mindset. Policy and initiatives are necessary, but experience teaches that unless an organisation addresses widely held beliefs, sustainable progress remains an ambition. This year I’ve observed six mindset shifts around gender equity that organisations can build on in 2025.
First men are buying in to modern masculinity. From John Stuart Mill writing in the early 1800s to Andy Murray arguing for equal pay in tennis, men are critical to driving gender equity forward. Yet binary discussions about gender equity have created “awkward allies” of many men who fear male privilege precludes them from speaking out. Today, the tide is turning in two respects. Binary discussions have evolved to recognise both men and women benefit from more human-centric workplaces. And men are leading the redefinition of traditional masculinity to embrace care, empathy and vulnerability.
The second shift relates to the first. Over six years researching the Parental Fog Index, we’ve seen a seismic shift in the number of employers promoting their support for working parents to a record 89%. Employers now regard support for working parents as an integral part of their talent retention and attraction strategy. At the same time, the movement for men to equally share parenting is gathering momentum, matched by a corresponding redefinition of expectations for motherhood.
Sticking with the next generation, the third shift has been understanding that inheritocracy has replaced meritocracy. Opportunities for talent under the age of 45 are increasingly determined by access to the bank of mum and dad and this is widening so many of societies‘ inequalities. Critical insight for hiring managers working to close the socio-economic talent gap.
Moving on to women over 50. A cohort previously dismissed as “women of a certain age” has been crowned “Queenagers” by the magnificent Eleanor Mills. No longer are women invisible but recognised for their spending power, skill and experience. Thanks to Lucy Ryan’s research into midlife careers, employers are beginning to address gendered ageism in the workplace and appreciate the wisdom, experience, motivation and energy of queenagers.
I’d like to pay homage to one queenager in particular, Gisele Pelicot. Her command that “shame must change sides” is my fifth mind shift. It perfectly exposes the learnt shame and power dynamics that prevent survivors of rape or sexual harassment from coming forward. Courage calls to courage and I hope Gisele has empowered women to challenge workplace sexual harassment, and for HR to speak truth to power and hold perpetrators to account.
Together, these shifts highlight how, when done strategically, DEI has a significant role to play in talent and reputation management. And how complex the task is to make workplaces fairer and equitable for all employees. For this reason I am particularly delighted by a sixth shift – the rise of professionalism in DEI and the call for a unifying theory of change to support all employees contributing to the challenging mission of culture change. DEI is very much open for business and I’m excited to see how our contribution and practice as a profession develops over 2025.
