How to create gender equity in the workplace

In the fourth episode of the Strong When We Belong podcast series, host Mona Bitar, UK&I Vice Chair, Ernst & Young LLP and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) council member, is joined by Rachel Osborne, CEO of Ted Baker, James Pereira, King's Council, a barrister, and Professor of Law at King’s College, and Anne-Marie Balfe, EY EMEIA Financial Services Talent Leader.

Deep-diving into the topic of building equity in the workplace, Mona encourages the guest speakers to share their personal experiences of diversity and equity, with practical examples of what can be done in the workplace to make it gender-balanced, with equal opportunities irrespective of any barriers. Whilst James shares his personal experience about finding the right opportunity at the right time, Rachel shares her experience at Ted Baker and what is done at the organisation level to encourage social mobility. Anne-Marie talks about the EY ‘sharing stories’ programme, where employees are encouraged to share their scenarios to help clearly define DE&I in its true sense.

The guests also discuss the importance of building a pool of talented women who can progress into leadership and board levels. Citing the gender targets from the Cranfield University’s Female FTSE Board Report 2022, host Mona discusses potential barriers for women, like childcare, disadvantaged backgrounds, or merely being outnumbered by their men counterparts and what measures organisations can take to eradicate unconscious bias.

Key takeaways:

• Get an overview of what companies can do to create a gender-balanced environment, with equal opportunities for all.
• Gain insights into succession planning, along with identifying potential barriers and addressing them, to ensure more women have the opportunity to take up leadership and board roles.

Learn more about the Strong When We Belong Podcast.
Read the transcript.