When women are empowered, they become powerful agents of change capable of transforming their families, communities, and countries.

– HONOURABLE MARIE-CLAUDE BIBEAU, FORMER MINISTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (2016)

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 calls for countries to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.  Critical gender gaps continue to exist worldwide and across multiple dimensions.  There are major obstacles for women to shape their lives and contribute to the well-being of those for whom they care.

Economic empowerment catalyzes social transformation for women and their communities.  National economies are more resilient, productive, and inclusive when gender inequalities are reduced and women’s equal participation in all spheres of life is actively supported.  Women’s empowerment is instrumental in alleviating global poverty.

Equity is about fairness, making sure everyone has what they need to succeed, and removing barriers that disadvantage some groups over others.  This is different than treating people equally, which is behind the concept of equality.  Mainstreaming gender equity starts with measurement and culminates in shattering glass ceilings.

Gendering metrics

Inroads are being made in closing the gender gap.  However, it is a long road: 52 countries do not enshrine equality in their constitution; 63 countries have a lower legal age of marriage for women; 21 per cent of girls and women have experienced physical or sexual violence; 70 per cent of human trafficking victims are female; 44 per cent of Asian and 37 per cent of African women are married before 18; female genital mutilation affects 200 million in 30 countries; women earn 24 per cent less than men on average; 75 per cent of unpaid care and domestic work is performed by women; and women’s representation in parliaments is 23 per cent.

The World Bank launched the Gender Data Portal in 2016.  It corroborates the evidence and trends:

  • The education gap is largest in low-income countries;
  • More women are unemployed and working without pay;
  • Women lag men in holding financial accounts in low and middle-income countries; and
  • Women have a stake in a third of firms worldwide.

The gender module of the World Bank’s ADePT software platform produces tables and graphs using household surveys to analyze prevailing inequalities by country over time.  The module is organized around the World Development Report 2012 framework.  It differentiates outcomes across three dimensions: (1) endowments in human capital; (2) economic opportunities; and (3) agency and voice.  Analytical and decomposition techniques explore gender gaps.

Shattering glass ceilings

A 2016 OECD survey shows that women’s representation in public employment is higher than in the workforce.  Few countries achieve gender parity at the most senior levels.  The Public Service of Canada is a notable exception of generational change in gender since 1983.  Whereas the size of the public service has grown modestly to 287,978 employees, the representation of women has gone from 41.8 per cent to 55.1 per cent.  At the same time, there has been a dramatic increase in female executives from 5.2 per cent to 47 per cent.

This virtual parity appears to be part of a Gen-X phenomenon.  The pendulum swing, indirectly neutralizing the ‘man’ in management, is a natural correction following waves of Boomer retirements.  The ‘Girl Power’ forecast in the 1980s has arrived.  Some criticize the ascent of mid-career women to position and power as too many, too fast, without preparation and experience, diluting merit.

Few question the rising star of a new-age female management style.  Like Taylor Swift girl squads and posses, the style is fierce, independent, articulate, empathetic, collaborative, and futuristic.  Unique female perspectives and qualities are critical to resolving complexity, leading high-performing teams, and managing horizontally in networked government.  Women are significantly superior in most leadership competencies, including taking initiative and getting results.  In the process, the lessons learned are demystifying transferable skills for men.

Organizations with women in management outrank counterparts in leadership.  Candidates who are assertive, dominant, decisive, and ruthless still get promoted over those who deliberately align strategy and results.  Gender equity makes space for different leadership styles to flourish.  Empowering women can help both women and men succeed.