For the first time, gender equality ranks alongside healthcare and climate change as a leading global issue, especially among Gen Z and Millennials who shape todayโs workplaces and culture. Nearly 29% of Gen Z and 28% of Millennials see gender equality as urgent, but 58% say they donโt know how to support it.ย
This is according to new research from the Team Lewis Foundation, aligned with the UN Women HeForShe campaign, which highlights three key areas to focus on: home, work, and technology.
Flexible Working Is Essential to Closing the Gender Gap
Women typically spend 4.2 hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work, three times more than menโs 1.7 hours, according to UN Women. This imbalance forces many women to juggle paid work alongside caregiving, especially when children are sick or schools close unexpectedly.ย
In the U.S., women are 10 times more likely than men to take time off for childcare.
Flexible working could change this; over half (52%) of women surveyed by Team Lewis say flexible hours would help them stay employed. Additionally, 45% reconsider their jobs due to inflexible schedules, and 40% cite poor work-life balance.ย
Research from Pragmatix Advisory estimates that unlocking flexible working could add ยฃ55.7 billion to the U.K. economy by retaining female talent and boosting productivity.
Workplace Inequality Still Holds Women Back
Globally, women earn about 20% less than men and occupy just 28% of managerial roles. Many women experience bias, exclusion, harassment, and burnout. Over 40% of employees feel their employers could do more for women, and 47% want greater pay transparency.
The timeline for equality is slow: in the U.S., it may take 50 years for all women to reach workplace parity, including 22 years for white women and 48 years for women of color. Research shows gender-diverse leadership improves company performance, yet many governments are scaling back equality initiatives.
AI Reflects and Reinforces Gender Bias
AI systems, shaped by biased data, often perpetuate inequality. Only 28% of people recognize gender bias in AI, though 66% support government regulation to reduce it. Failures include biased facial recognition, male-favored hiring algorithms, and healthcare tools that overlook minority needs.
Women hold just 35% of tech roles in U.S. companies, yet only 40% see this gender gap as a problem. Misogynistic AI outputs remain underreported, with just 24% acknowledging this issue.
Steps Toward Progress
- At work: Promote flexible hours, equal pay, transparent promotion paths, and zero tolerance for harassment.
- At home: Share domestic responsibilities equally.
- In tech: Build diverse teams, audit AI for bias, and push for ethical development.
- Individually: Speak up against bias and support womenโs voices in all spaces.
