5 'next horizon' practices to help women excel in their careers

Employee assistance programs, access to talk therapy, mental health-focused apps and comprehensive medical benefits are all part of the toolkit of resources we can offer to help our people focus on their physical and mental health. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Recently, we’ve seen a much deserved and overdue spotlight on the challenges working women continue to face in our post-COVID world. Consider, for instance, that women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, and the gap widens the higher in the ranks you go. Studies tell us that men outnumber women increasingly at every level, beginning with the promotion from entry to manager, where only 87 women are promoted for every 100 men.

And women’s workforce participation overall continues to decline – in part because family caregiving responsibilities largely fall on women throughout all phases of life. In fact, one study shows that women are 5 to 8 times more likely than men to have their employment affected by caregiver responsibilities.  In addition, many companies lack benefits that support conditions and experiences unique to women.