Paper on gender dynamics in non-urban Austria

Only 35% of managerial roles in EU are held by women. In technology the gap is even wider: women make up just 19% of ICT specialists. A new report shows how gender stereotypes are road blocks in the European Union. https://lnkd.in/dUrSr8N8

Web Summit’s latest State of Gender in Tech Report reveals that while 81% of women in tech feel empowered to lead, nearly 60% say gender balance has deteriorated over the past year, driven by bias, sexism, and work–life struggles. Despite the setbacks, optimism around AI’s role in promoting inclusion continues to grow. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gJXaA-Hy #WomenInTech #WebSummit #GenderEquity #TechLeadership #AIandInclusion #WomenLeadership #DiversityInTech #GenderBalance #Innovation #TechForGood

50% of people believe that gender equality has gone far enough. This stat never fails to shock me, given the clear inequality that still exists in the world. But here’s the thing: so much of this sentiment isn’t based on facts. It’s built on emotions. The emotions of men feeling displaced. The emotions of both men and women feeling as if society isn’t working for them. The feeling of things being taken, not given. When you look at the facts, the picture is very different: 👎 In the UK, 249,000 mothers of under-4s left work in 2023 due to childcare struggles (The Guardian) 👎 Globally, women were 14% less likely than men to be promoted in 2024, even with the same performance (CultureAmp) 👎 In 2024, women in the UK were 7x more likely than men to be out of work because of unpaid caring. 1.46m women are excluded from paid work (TUC) 👎 Women held 35.3% of senior leadership roles in the FTSE 350 in 2024, but over 60% of new appointments still went to men. 7% of FTSE CEOs are women. (FTSE Women Leaders Review) 👎 Across decades of VC funding, all-female founding teams received just 2.3% of capital. Mixed-gender teams ~10.4%. The rest went to all-male teams (Harvard Kennedy School) 👎 In the UK, 1 in 3 women said their career had been affected by sexual harassment at work in 2023 (People Management) These aren’t isolated numbers. They show a system that was never designed for women, one that still forces too many out, holds too many back, and diminishes too many careers. When a significant portion of the population can’t fully participate or progress, businesses lose talent, economies lose growth, and society loses resilience. Gender equality isn’t about women versus men. It’s about building systems that unlock everyone’s potential. When that happens, everyone wins: from individual careers, to company performance, to global competitiveness. When we're surrounded by media that focuses on emotions, not facts, we need to remind ourselves of the reality. #GenderEquality

Gender Equity in the Workplace: Building Spaces Where Everyone Thrives Gender equity in the workplace is something I genuinely care about. Even today, so many capable and hardworking women face invisible barriers like unequal pay, limited growth opportunities, and outdated stereotypes that question their competence or commitment. To me, equity isn’t just about giving everyone the same chance; it’s about understanding that people start from different places and need different kinds of support to reach their full potential. Things like flexible work options, mentorship for women leaders, and safe, respectful work cultures can make a huge difference. I believe emotional intelligence like showing empathy, respect, and awareness, is what truly transforms workplaces. When we listen, include, and uplift one another, we create spaces where everyone can grow, not just survive. It’s time to move beyond equality and build workplaces rooted in fairness, compassion, and genuine inclusion. #GenderEquity #Inclusion #Empathy #WorkCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #Diversity

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗛𝘆𝗩𝗘𝗛𝗥 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 💪👩🔬👨🔧 In the DelHyVEHR project, 30% of our partners are women—a figure close to the EU average for researchers (34%), but still below their representation in broader science & tech fields (54%). 📉 The main challenge? A limited pool of specific technical profiles in the project's domain, which restricts higher female participation. 💡 Still, our recent gender survey shows 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱: ✔️ Gender equality awareness across all partners ✔️ Concrete measures to foster equality within partner organisations, including: - Reducing the gender pay gap - Reserving seats for women in decision-making bodies - Implementing anti-sexism action plans ✔️ High satisfaction among partners in balancing work and family life 📈 And 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴: female representation in our General Assembly meetings grew from 20% to 35% in just 18 months. ENGIE, Elengy, ArianeGroup, Fives, Absolut System, DEKRA España, Benkei, Trelleborg Group, CESAME EXADEBIT, Ulster University, Energy Policy Group, ERIG - European Research Institute for Gas and Energy Innovation AISBL #DelHyVEHR #GenderEquality #WomenInSTEM #CleanEnergy #Hydrogen #LiquidHydrogen #hydrogenrefueling #Sustainability #Innovation #GreenFuture #SustainableTransport

“Women are the problem.” This unspoken narrative has shaped the workplace for decades. From leaning in to smiling more, countless initiatives have told women how to “fix” themselves in order to succeed. But what if the real issue isn’t women at all. What if it’s the system? As #RSM's Associate Professor Corinna Frey-Heger puts it: 👉 “Training and network initiatives targeted at women are well-intentioned, but sometimes they reinforce the idea that women are the problem to be fixed.” Together with colleagues, she has just published research in Organization Studies that analyses The Fix podcast by Dr Michelle Penelope King Chartered FCIPD. ✨ Their study highlights: Why well-intentioned trainings often leave women frustrated, and reinforce the “women are the problem” narrative. How systemic practices like inflexible schedules or everyday stereotypes create “death by a million cuts.” What real change looks like: Iceland’s parental leave policies; male allies stepping in; and workplaces designed for everyone to thrive. 🔑 The takeaway? Gender equality cannot rest on women’s shoulders alone. It requires a shift in our focus from fixing women to fixing systems. 📖 Read more about the research here: https://lnkd.in/eXDw6z_c #GenderEquality #Leadership #Inclusion #OrganizationStudies

When we talk about gender equality, the focus is often rightly on advancing opportunities for women. But there’s another essential part of the story: Men and boys must also be engaged, supported, and invited to play a role in shaping more inclusive futures. In a recent discussion with the Champions of Change Coalition, Our Associate Director of Programs, Cody Ragonese spoke about how outdated ideas of masculinity – men narrowly described as only “providers and protectors” – are under real strain. When these roles no longer fit, some men turn inward, feeling stress, isolation, and disconnection. Others may be drawn toward harmful online influencers who feed a narrative of grievance and backlash. But there is another path: workplaces, communities, and leaders can offer and model healthier versions of manhood. Men who hold more gender-equitable views have better mental health, stronger relationships, and are more engaged fathers. Workplaces that embed gender equality into their culture see higher productivity, team cohesion, and psychological safety. Policies like parental leave and mentorship programs with a gender lens not only support women’s advancement but also help men show up as equal caregivers and allies. For industries like transportation, where men make up the majority of the workforce, these lessons are especially vital. Supporting men through this change is not about diminishing women’s progress; it is about building workplaces where everyone can thrive. https://lnkd.in/g9zSwtkN National Women in Transport Rachel Katz

We often say that a project will mainstream gender throughout its life cycle, but what does it involve? Gender mainstreaming means evaluating how any planned action, be it policy, legislation, or program, affects women, men, girls, and boys differently at every level and stage. It’s about ensuring equity, equality, and empowering everyone. To make this a reality, projects should: 1. Understand the different realities and barriers women, men, boys, and girls face, tailoring outcomes to meet their needs. 2. Engage grassroots women’s groups, rights organizations, and gender-focused institutions alongside justice, health, and social welfare stakeholders. 3. Incorporate best practices and evidence from global, regional, and local research and lessons learned. 4. Reach out intentionally to marginalized populations with specific interventions that redress inequality. 5. Embed gender equality and women’s empowerment goals explicitly and check all actions for gender sensitivity. 6. Align with national, regional, and international women’s rights frameworks. 7. Design projects that identify and overcome gender-specific participation barriers, including gender-responsive indicators in monitoring. 8. Ensure gender-balanced staffing with clear gender qualifications and trained professionals to lead these efforts. 9. Allocate sufficient budgets and influence funding priorities with gender messaging. 10. Collect sex-disaggregated data, monitor gender risks, and apply mitigation strategies. Gender mainstreaming is continuous and systemic. Done well, it transforms projects into powerful tools for equality and empowerment. Let’s build inclusive futures where everyone thrives! #GenderMainstreaming #GenderEquality #WomensEmpowerment #InclusivesustainableDevelopment

"Gender equality remains the unfinished business of our time. The private sector is indispensable in closing the gap." We welcome the crucial findings and calls for change published in UN Women's new report, “Unfinished Business: Private Sector and Gender Equality”. The report pulls back the curtain on why many corporate commitments to gender equality remain just that — commitments — and offers a bold roadmap for turning them into measurable change. 📊 Key insights you should know: 🔸Women make up 39% of the global workforce but hold just 30% of managerial roles. 🔸The persistent global wage gap is around 20%. 🔸Harassment, lack of care policies, and weak promotion pipelines continue to block women’s progress. 🔸Closing the digital divide alone could benefit 343 million women and contribute USD $1.5 trillion in economic gains by 2030. 🏢 What the report urges private sector leaders to do differently: 🔸Stop treating gender equality as a “nice-to-have” — embed it into your core business models 🔸Shift from voluntary pledges to accountability, transparency, measurable goals 🔸Reform recruitment, promotion, and leadership pipelines 🔸Institute strong anti-harassment protections and grievance mechanisms, including across supply chains 🔸Invest in closing the digital gender gap and enabling women’s access to technology 🔸Incentivize women-owned businesses and gender-responsive procurement 🔸Partner with governments, investors, and civil society to ensure enforcement and alignment We stand with UN Women in calling for urgent action from the private sector. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dvmBKbn6 #GenderEquality #WageGap #GenderGap #FeministData

📉 Despite decades of progress, gender equality is not keeping pace — and the stakes are rising fast. New data from the OECD and policy shifts across Australia and the EU make it clear: gender equity is no longer just a moral or social issue — it's a business imperative. 📊 Key findings from the latest OECD reports: - Women spend 2x more time on unpaid care than men — directly impacting labour force participation and advancement. - Only 33% of board seats in listed EU firms are held by women — despite legislation mandating balance. - 1 in 3 women experiences gender-based violence, with knock-on effects across safety, retention, and societal trust. - Women are 18% less likely to own a smartphone and 25% less likely to use mobile internet — a growing digital divide. - In green jobs, women hold just 32% of renewable energy roles — limiting inclusion in the future economy. ⚖️ The policy landscape is also shifting: - The EU Pay Transparency Directive and Corporate Leadership Directive are reshaping compliance. - In Australia, the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment Act (2023) means real-time pay gap disclosure is now mandatory. Gender equality is explicitly tied to SDGs — especially: SDG 5.4.1: Unpaid care SDG 13.2.1: Gender in climate transition SDG 9.c.1: Digital inclusion 🧠 For business, this means gender is now a front-line issue in: - Human capital risk - AI and digital system design - Regulatory and investor expectations - Leadership pipeline resilience 📌 Key sector signals: - In finance, pay transparency = audit readiness. - In tech, AI model bias is drawing global scrutiny. - In transport/energy, lack of gender inclusion is stalling innovation and just transitions. 🔧 Strategic actions: COO: Audit systems and digital platforms for gender bias, esp. in AI/UX. CSO: Embed gender-disaggregated data in ISSB-aligned sustainability reports. CFO: Prepare for external assurance on pay equity. CHRO: Redesign parental leave and flexible work around care realities. CEO/Board: Tie gender inclusion to strategic value, risk, and compliance oversight. ✅ Gender equality is no longer just an HR priority — it’s a boardroom responsibility and a sustainability signal. Let’s not wait to be regulated into action. Let’s lead. 🗂️ Reports attached: Gender equality in a changing world: https://lnkd.in/gz5u7kJh Gender gaps in paid and unpaid work (OECD, Sept 2025): https://lnkd.in/gPNHNbT5 OECD Gender Gaps Dashboard (Sept 2025): https://lnkd.in/g3qrqVBy 📩 Keen to explore how your organisation can operationalise this? Let’s talk. 👥 Thanks to: Willem Adema Pauline Fron Maxime Ladaique Carolien de Bruin Fiona Watson #GenderEquity #OperationalRisk #Sustainability #DigitalInclusion #EqualPay #BCSDA #OECD #WBCSD #ESG #Leadership #SDGs #AIethics #ClimateJustice