The past year has been universally difficult due to the physical, mental, social and financial impacts of COVID-19. However, some groups have had more challenges than others. Women in the workplace, in particular, have seen many preexisting inequities become worse during the pandemic, and addressing these problems will require a multi-faceted approach from business leaders.
Gender Equity Is a Longstanding Issue
Even before COVID-19, businesses struggled to support gender equity. While women ran more Fortune 500 companies than ever in 2020 — and that number is set to grow to 41 this year, according to Forbes — that still represents just over 8% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and the pipeline to senior leadership is riddled with gender gaps in organizations big and small.
