The World Economic Forum in its Global Gender Gap Report 2014 estimates it will take until 2095 to achieve global gender parity in the workplace. EY’s report looks at ways to accelerate the global gender parity clock. 

Key Findings

•    Optimised talent makes economic sense:  Worldwide, women in the workforce contribute both directly and indirectly to productivity gains. More gender-balanced leadership correlates with better all-around performance. 
•    Common ground: Men and women have similar perceptions regarding women’s potential and the enablers and obstacles to women’s success. A majority of both men and women believe that more female leadership leads to stronger companies. 
•    High performers set the pace: The highest performing companies are doing much more to encourage the advancement of women than the lower-performing companies in the survey. The high performers often offer flexible work arrangements for men and women, they have goals for representation of women in leadership, and they often offer programmes that expose women to all company operations and functions.
•    Recommendations on accelerating women in the workforce: Illuminate the path to leadership, incorporate progressive corporate policy, and build supportive work culture and environment to eliminate conscious and unconscious gender bias.