Women Career Advancement

👁️ If only women had wives. The kind who clear the runway, catch the flu calls, and make ambition look effortless... Last Friday, a young mother I work with told me her mentor in the company advised her to hide the fact that she has two young children, when she was about to enter the promotion as head of department in a new country. She asks me what I think... Frankly, I didn't know what to say to her, because her mentor is right, she has a higher chance of nailing that role if her peers didn't know that she has caregiving responsibilities at home. Too many women have learned to perform invisibility: to tuck their motherhood into silence, to show up spotless, sleepless, and unshakeable, as if our humanity were a PR risk. 💼 I get it. There is a cost to ambition. Every day, I choose between being an entrepreneur, a mother, a woman who sometimes drops the ball and sometimes carries the world. But to hide my children, that’s a price too high. 🌱 Motherhood didn’t make me less focused. It taught me triage, boundaries, and emotional intelligence you can’t learn in an MBA. When I’m worried about my child, I say so. When I block my calendar for family, I don’t apologize. I’m not working despite being a mother, I’m working because of everything motherhood has expanded in me. 🏗️ The truth is that the system is still built on the assumption that care is a private inconvenience, not a collective asset. Until companies start designing around reality, not pretending people don’t have lives, gender diversity will remain a spreadsheet goal, not a lived value. 💬 Because if advancement depends on having a wife at home, you don’t have a talent strategy ,you have a dependency. Now, What employers can actually do: ✅ Make part-time powerful: leadership, budgets, and promotions included. Stop treating flexibility as a downgrade. ✅ Tie manager bonuses to parent retention and advancement. What gets measured gets protected. ✅ Ban coded language like “less committed” or “not visible enough.” If you can’t quantify it, don’t weaponize it. ✅ Equal parental leave Mandatory for men, normalized for women. Culture follows example, not policy. ✅ Re-entry is not penance. Build structured return paths with sponsors, not "tolerance" ✅ Track promotions, pay, and attrition by caregiving status. If you won’t measure it, you’re not fixing it. 🧨 Because the future of leadership isn’t childless; it’s designed. Either build for real lives, or be honest that you’re selecting for people who don’t have one. ----------------------------- 📢 Hi, I am Jingjin Liu, sharing my Motherhood Diaries every Sunday as a reflection on what it means to self-actualize while mothering. It’s not balance. It’s contradiction. Fulfillment and fatigue. Expansion and erasure. I’m still in the thick of it, wrestling with who I am beyond being needed, and figuring it out as I go.

A significant hurdle to women in asset management becoming Portfolio Managers is that the promotion decision is typically taken around the time many women have children, i.e. early 30s or after approximately 10 years as an Analyst. While most women take extended parental leave, men rarely do; in addition, women typically bear the majority of childcare responsibilities after birth. Moreover, there is an age range where, if a woman has not made PM, she likely never will and is viewed as a career analyst. Relative earnings dynamics within a family amplifies workplace dynamics. If a woman is overlooked for promotion in her early 30s while having children, her earnings may have fallen significantly behind her partner’s by her late 30s. The family dynamic may either dissuade her from returning to work or require her to bear more childcare responsibilities after returning, further increasing inequality. The career interruption from pregnancy applies outside of promotion concerns. A woman in the early stages of pregnancy or intending to become pregnant may be reluctant to take risk (e.g. by speaking up, making a contrarian investment, or switching firm) because, if she is made redundant, it will be difficult for her to find a new job as she will be at a late stage of pregnancy. One interviewee knows of women who have had abortions because they were too new in the job and being pregnant would expose them to too much career risk. This issue is highlighted in my report on Cognitive Diversity in Asset Management for Diversity Project - Investment Industry. https://lnkd.in/eASk7x3P Potential solutions are in my response to the FCA's consultation on Diversity and Inclusion in the Financial Sector at https://lnkd.in/eWgkd8qz (see p7). I would be grateful to learn of additional solutions: please leave a comment.

International Women’s Day – where are all the women? 🤔 Gender diversity isn’t just a “nice to have” – it’s an economic game-changer. Companies with more women in leadership are 25% more likely to have above-average profitability . That’s a competitive edge 📈💡, not just good karma. And yet, women hold only ~23% of board seats globally – less than a quarter. 🤯 The gap at the top is real, and it’s not for lack of talent or ambition. So why aren’t there more women in those boardrooms and corner offices? Because no amount of celebratory social media posts will fix systemic issues overnight. Real change means tackling the root causes head-on. For example: => 🚧 Bias – conscious and unconscious biases still stall women’s advancement (from hiring to performance evaluations). => 👩👧 Unpaid care – women disproportionately juggle child care and household responsibilities, leaving less time and flexibility to climb the corporate ladder. => 🤝 Mentorship gap – fewer mentors/sponsors to pull women up to leadership roles, plus smaller professional networks due to historically male-dominated leadership. => 🏢 Broken rung – women often get stuck below executive level due to fewer promotions (the “broken rung” phenomenon), making it harder to reach the C-suite. Posting an #IWD headline or a one-day hashtag isn’t enough. Real progress requires concrete action: fair hiring and promotions, flexible work policies for work-life balance, equal parental leave, mentorship programs, and leaders actively calling out bias in the workplace. This International Women’s Day, let’s move beyond the lip service. Everyone has a role to play – as managers, colleagues, and allies – in changing the system. Mentor a woman. Advocate for diverse slates in your team. Challenge stereotypes when you hear them. Let’s make sure that in the near future, we won’t have to keep asking “Where are all the women?” – because they’ll be right there leading at the top. 💪🚀 #IWD2025 #GenderDiversity #EqualOpportunity

I was shocked when I realized the greatest challenge to closing the economic gender gap in Africa. And I think it's important everyone learns about it as well. Here goes: The greatest challenge to closing the gender gap, and why it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gap in Africa, is the significant perception vs. reality gap. Let me explain: According to research by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) & United Nations Global Compact, who surveyed 4000 men and women across Africa, they found that more than 50% of men and women in Sub-Saharan Africa believe that there is gender parity and/or women are ahead in their country when it comes to various indicators, including equal pay for work of equal value. Ironically, about 40% of the same men and women surveyed believe that men are better leaders than women in analytical and technical skills as well as leadership abilities. In reality however, even though women in Sub-Saharan Africa have higher rates of participation (54%) in the economy than global averages, 90% of them work informally, predominantly in low-skilled jobs, given their historical gap in access to education. They hold only nearly a quarter of management positions, with only 16% of CEO/MD positions held by women. And though this rate has been growing over the past 20 years, with the current rate, it is estimated that it will take more than 150 years to close the gender gap on the continent. So, the question now is what needs to be done? We all need to play our part in addressing the barriers that hold women back: - Every business needs policies against discrimination and harassment. - Flexible options like remote work and flexible hours are essential for working parents and women. - Training staff on gender equality and offering skills training for women are smart investments. - Programs such as financial literacy and business mentorship are crucial for female entrepreneurs and the self-employed. - Providing better access to financial products is vital for entrepreneurs and should be prioritized by banks and other businesses. - Equal pay and benefits, along with better parental leave and caregiving support, are important goals. Women's participation in the economy greatly boosts a country's productivity and can significantly increase GDP—by up to 50% in Africa—thanks to the added workforce and the benefits of gender diversity. The study authored by Qahir Dhanani and team (Sanda Ojiambo, Tolulope Lewis Tamoka, Lina Al Qaddoumi, Zineb Sqalli, Natasha Lendich, Maxime Kpangbai) also revealed a fascinating trend: women-led startups deliver a whopping 10% higher ROI. And that's not all! It also suggested that income earned by women has a significantly greater impact on communities compared to income earned by men. These findings highlight the incredible potential of bridging the economic gender gap.

I'm happy to share the release of the #WiSER White Paper, "Igniting a Global Sustainable Economy," following the impactful discussions at the WiSER Annual Forum during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week - ADSW 2025. This report highlights the critical role of female entrepreneurs in driving climate solutions and provides actionable strategies to bridge gender gaps in finance, scalability, AI, mentorship, and accessibility—especially for women in the Global South. Why This Matters: Women-led ventures are key to unlocking innovation in sustainability, yet systemic barriers persist. This paper outlines 5 recommendations: 🔹 Increase Gender-Focused Investment : Boost funding, financial literacy, and microloans for female-led climate projects. 🔹 Scale Women-Led Ventures : Streamline policies and partnerships to accelerate growth. 🔹 Harness AI & Digital Tools: Bridge the AI literacy and access gap to empower business expansion. 🔹 Strengthen Mentorship and Networking: Build cross-sector collaborations to provide women with the resources to succeed. 🔹 Empower Women in the Global South : Address legal and financial barriers, invest in STEM education, and improve access to markets and resources. Dive into the full report below or on Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)’s website for insights on turning these strategies into action: https://lnkd.in/dyAFPEP2 Thanks again to my fellow roundtable participants: Lawratou Bah, CFA, Mirella Amalia Vitale, Natasha Shenoy, Hajar Alketbi, Manal B., Mariam Alnaqbi, Shaima Al Mulla

New BMJ Global Health Commentary: Governing Health Systems With a Gender Lens I’m pleased to share a new BMJ Global Health commentary, written with my colleagues Aya Thabet and Anna Cocozza, on a topic that urgently needs attention: How health system governance can close—or widen—the women’s health gap. Women around the world experience, on average, nine additional years of poor health compared with men. This disparity is not just a clinical issue. It is a governance issue. For decades, health systems have relied on a narrow definition of women’s health, focusing predominantly on maternal and reproductive care. This has left significant gaps in areas such as chronic disease, mental health, menopause, autoimmune conditions, gender-based violence, and more. Our article argues that governance itself must change if we want health systems to deliver for women. Using the WHO’s Six Governance Behaviours framework, we examine how governments, regulators, and purchasers can integrate a gender lens into the rules, incentives, and decision-making processes that shape health systems. Here are some of the key insights: 1. Deliver strategy with measurable commitments Clear definitions, dedicated budgets, and accountability mechanisms across both the public and private sectors must back equity goals. 2. Build understanding through sex-disaggregated data If systems don’t collect it, they can’t govern it. Mandatory sex-disaggregated data and transparency are essential to closing gaps. 3. Enable stakeholders by aligning incentives Financing arrangements—particularly strategic purchasing—can reward equitable, women-centred care rather than perpetuating neglect. 4. Align structures through gender-responsive regulation Licensing, training, essential medicines lists, and facility standards must explicitly reflect women’s health needs across the life course. 5. Foster relations with meaningful partnerships Women’s organisations, professional associations, and patient groups are indispensable partners in designing governance arrangements that work. 6. Nurture trust with strong accountability systems Women must have access to safe, responsive grievance and redress mechanisms—and regulators must consistently enforce protections. Why this matters Health systems are not gender-neutral. Without intentional design, the rules and incentives that govern them will continue to reproduce inequalities. By applying a gender lens to governance, we can reposition women’s health as a core system priority, not a side issue—and build accountability for equitable, respectful, high-quality care. Governing Health Systems With a Gender Lens BMJ Global Health – Clarke, Thabet & Cocozza https://lnkd.in/dwXNka4a Join the conversation #WomensHealth #GenderEquity #HealthSystems #GlobalHealth #HealthGovernance #HealthPolicy #UniversalHealthCoverage #UHC #DigitalHealth #HealthReform #HealthEquity #Accountability #Regulation #StrategicPurchasing #BMJGlobalHealth

In 2021, I became the first woman to head a unicorn in Israel, AKA Startup Nation. In many parts of the world, women are excluded from even the most basic financial services, so leading a fintech company is far from their reality. United Nations data estimates that 3.8 billion women live in the world, 50% of which are adults. According to the World Bank’s Global Findex Database, 1.4 billion of those 1.9 billion adult women, are unbanked. That’s 73.65%. Visit that statistic again. It represents a disturbing gender gap in financial access, with women being far less likely than men to have bank accounts or access formal financial services. This financial exclusion has personal impact. It diminishes women’s economic empowerment by restricting access to education and limiting their potential for personal growth and independence. It makes women more financially dependent, and therefore, more vulnerable. There's economic impact, too. Research by McKinsey highlights the economic loss due to financial exclusion of women, noting that closing the gender gap in labor force participation could add trillions to global GDP. Financial inclusion isn’t just a matter of equality – ensuring the same opportunities for all. It’s a matter of equity - ensuring women have the tools and access they need to fully participate in the global economy. That’s where technology enters the picture to level the field. The rise of mobile banking is a great example of innovation enhancing financial inclusion. According to a report by the International Finance Corporation, mobile money accounts are more popular among women in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where access to traditional banking is limited. Various fintechs provide financial literacy resources, helping women understand financial products, budgeting, and saving strategies. Other solutions include AI-driven platforms that offer personalized recommendations and advice, empowering women to make informed financial decisions. Aside from personal apps and solutions, fintechs can facilitate community-based lending and saving initiatives, allowing women to support each other through group savings or microfinance schemes, fostering a sense of solidarity and shared purpose. This International Women’s Day’s theme is "accelerate action". In my mind, nothing accelerates action like innovation. As we mark International Women's Day, let’s advocate and innovate to enhance financial inclusion for women worldwide. #IWD2025 #financialInclusion Papaya Global

To UAE private sector companies preparing to pull the "lack of qualified female board candidates" card, consider this your friendly reminder: that myth has already been thoroughly debunked. Women currently hold only 5% of leadership roles globally in the private sector. This is a critical gap that demands immediate action, and the UAE is once again setting a powerful example. In 2021, the UAE introduced a law mandating female representation on the boards of publicly listed companies. The results have been nothing short of impressive. Female board representation has jumped from a mere 3.5% in 2020 to over 8.9% by 2023, according to the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) . The message is clear: intentional policies drive real, measurable change. There is no shortage of talented women. The UAE is home to an extensive pipeline of female leaders, and initiatives like Aurora50 are accelerating this momentum. Women are not only ready—they are thriving in board roles, bringing valuable expertise and perspectives. The business case for gender diversity is clear. Companies with gender-diverse boards perform better financially. According to MSCI’s global study, firms with more women on their boards saw a 36.4% higher return on equity. This is about more than representation—it’s about fostering better governance, innovation, and resilience in the face of challenges. While gender quotas have sparked this progress, the real transformation will come when diversity is embraced as a strategic imperative, not just a compliance issue. It’s time for a cultural shift where diverse leadership is seen as vital to innovation and sustainable growth. To the leaders of the UAE’s private sector: the future of your business relies on inclusive, forward-thinking leadership. If you're serious about strengthening your boardroom with fresh perspectives, I am more than happy to introduce you to exceptional female leaders who are ready to make a significant impact at the highest levels of corporate decision-making. #genderbalance #corporategovernance #womenonboards

Unemployment continues to climb, but so do our skill shortages. There are few credible arguments to be made that current immigration policies are addressing our skills gaps, but maybe we’re overlooking one of the most underutilized talent pools: moms. The data is clear. Women spend nearly twice as much time on childcare and housework compared to men, and that imbalance has real consequences in the workplace. Forty-four percent of working mothers say they’ll likely need to change jobs to balance childcare demands, compared to just 37% of fathers. After childbirth, 24% of women exit the labor market in the first year, and 15% remain out even a decade later. During the pandemic, the lost economic value of working mothers in the US and Canada was estimated at $420 billion. So here’s the question: could solving the skills shortage be as simple as changing workplace policies so more moms can stay in, and thrive in, the workforce? If we know moms are doing more at home, then employers need to do more for moms at work. That means flexible work arrangements that reflect caregiving realities, childcare support like subsidies or emergency care days, career progression models that account for nonlinear paths, leadership development that doesn’t penalize motherhood, and inclusive cultures that value care as a leadership trait. To all the moms who are doing double duty, we see you. To all the employers who are listening, keep going. To all of us dads, be better

It’s International Women’s Day coming up! And a business just emailed me offering 20% off solar lights to celebrate..... Because nothing says gender equality like a discount on outdoor lighting. And honestly, this sums up how most businesses approach today. They post pictures of their female staff. They put on cupcakes. But what are they actually doing? Women are still the primary caregivers. In 54% of Australian families, the mother is the main carer. Only 4% say it’s the father. Mothers are the ones making career sacrifices. 80% of UK mothers leave full-time work after having kids, moving to part-time or reducing their hours. Workplace inflexibility is forcing women out. In Australia, nearly one-third (32%) of mothers who faced discrimination related to pregnancy or parental leave quit or had to find a new job. In the UK, over half (52%) of women have left or considered leaving a job due to a lack of flexible working options. Businesses that actually offer real flexibility (remote work, part-time, hybrid) retain their female talent longer, boost productivity, and perform better financially. So, if a company isn’t offering real flexibility to support women’s careers, what exactly are they celebrating today? Because cupcakes don’t fix this.