Empowering Women Today: 5 Strategies For Achieving Success

The experience of work for many women is filled with obstacles such as finding work, stalled careers, lack of support and unequal pay. It is a social and moral issue to create the conditions for women to succeed and thrive as women make up approximately half of the global working-age population, and their wellbeing, health, and economic achievements affect the global economy. Supporting women starts with recognizing that women must define success for themselves and understanding the ebb and flow of needs over life stages. There are three meaningful actions that individuals, teams, leaders, and organizations can take to create the conditions for women to succeed and thrive, which include hiring, promoting, and nurturing women’s career growth; valuing women’s career paths and skills; and providing meaningful work.

Defining Success

It is important to recognize that there is not one best model of work and life for women, as demonstrated by research. Instead, the ideal is when women are doing what they prefer. Women and families tend to achieve the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment with alignment, which includes women working full-time or part-time, or not working outside the home, depending on their preference. The most ideal conditions for women are when they discover what is best for themselves and their families, rather than an external norm for achievement. It is also crucial to acknowledge that needs shift across seasons, and it is vital to align these with their current preference.

Hire, Promote, and Nurture Women’s Career Growth

Women do not receive the same opportunities for hiring or promotion as men, according to a study by Applied. Additionally, many believe women receive fewer career advantages compared to men, according to a poll by HiBob. To provide equal opportunities for women, recruiting, selection, hiring, promotion, and career growth practices must be systematic in a culture, not left to chance. Sponsorship and mentorship are also essential aspects of a system that supports women, both women supporting women, and men supporting women.

Value Women’s Career Paths and Skills

Many women take time off from their career growth to focus on family, which can create gaps in their resumes and job histories. Organizations can embrace women’s contributions regardless of a resume gap, especially in light of the skills they develop in caregiving. Caregiving can be a significant source of personal reward and skill development, fostering talents that are transferrable to work. Organizations can create an environment that values the skills women develop while caring for others, including empathy, stress tolerance, time management, communication skills, advocacy skills, conflict management, motivating others, and leadership.

Provide Meaningful Work

Providing meaningful work is a powerful way to support mothers. Many parents are willing to make sacrifices in their jobs for their children, but substantive support for mothers would provide meaningful work that is a good match to their skills and future contribution. Meaningful work would feature clear expectations and purpose, empathetic leadership, respectful cultures, and opportunities for learning and growth. All of these would reduce the need for sacrifice and contribute to better parenting and better work contributions.

The climb may seem uphill for women according to new data, but organizations and individuals can take meaningful actions to create the conditions for women to succeed and thrive. These include hiring, promoting, and nurturing women’s career growth, valuing women’s career paths and skills, and providing meaningful work. Supporting women must begin with recognizing that women must define success for themselves, understanding the ebb and flow of needs over life stages, and acknowledging the skills women develop while caring for others. Providing substantive support for mothers would help reduce the need for sacrifices and improve their parenting and work contributions.