First-of-its-Kind Workplace Gender Equity Guide Unveiled

Advancing gender equity in the workplace, especially at the C-suite and Board level, continues to be a major challenge for employers nationwide. The good news is that addressing this challenge would have a tremendous economic payoff as fully implementing gender equity best practices would increase US GDP by 10 percent by 2025 according to McKinsey & Co. To address the systemic underrepresentation of women in the workplace, the Bay Area Council Economic Institute in partnership with Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s The Representation Project today unveiled a first-of-its-kind online strategy guide for businesses – Building Gender Equity in the Workplace – assessing the economics of gender equity and providing actionable practices for businesses to meet the challenge head on.

“We’ve made progress, but it has been too slow,” said Micah Weinberg, President of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute “Gender equality in the workplace is not just a moral and social imperative; it’s a fiscal necessity to a stronger, more competitive economy.”

At today’s launch event in San Francisco, Bay Area Council Gender Equity Committee Co-Chair Peg McAllister of Lee Hecht Harrison welcomed a packed house. Following a presentation of findings by Economic Institute President Micah Weinberg, The Representation Project Founder and CEO Jennifer Siebel Newsom delivered remarks on some of the underlying issues blocking women from advancing as leaders, including unconscious bias and socialization of gender stereotypes.

The cutting-edge practices and strategies included in the guide enable businesses to take a holistic approach in evaluating their hiring practices, evaluation policies, compensation transparency, career development programming, HR policies, leadership diversity and workplace culture needed to grow the talent pool and advance women professionally. Special thanks to project lead partner The Representation Project and regional sponsors San Francisco 49ers, Intel, San Francisco International Airport, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Lee Hecht Harrison, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, and Suffolk Construction.

Read Building Gender Equity in the Workplace>>

To get involved in the Council’s Gender Equity policy work, please contact Policy Manager Emily Loper.