Managers, 5 Ways to Take Action for Women at Work.

Every March, there’s buzz around International Women’s Day. But what happens after? 

Conversations fade. 

Action gets stuck. 

Progress slows. 

Let’s talk facts: 

→ Women’s workforce participation is now at 68.5% across Europe. 

→ Yet, women still hold just 35% of managerial roles. 

→ And only 19% of tech specialists are women. 

→ Gender pay gap is still around 13%. 

And we know companies with diverse leadership outperform their peers by 25%. 

(Stats from Eurostat and McKinsey, 2023)

Equality isn’t just about doing what’s right, it’s smart business. 

But progress isn’t automatic. 

Action is needed. 

As managers, we have influence. 

Every promotion, hire, or meeting we lead shapes workplace culture.

Here’s 5 ways how you can support women in the workplace, starting today:

1. Remove bias from hiring (it’s hiding in your job descriptions)

Women are 44% less likely to apply for a job unless they meet every listed requirement.

Men? They apply if they meet 60% (LinkedIn, 2023).

The problem often starts with biased language in job descriptions.

✅ What to do: work with HR to ensure job postings use inclusive, unbiased language.

🔍 Spot the bias:

❌ "We’re looking for a rockstar engineer who thrives under pressure and dominates challenges."✅ "We’re looking for a highly skilled engineer who excels at solving complex problems in a collaborative environment."

❌ "Strong leadership required for an aggressive sales strategy."✅ "Seeking a strategic leader who can drive growth through relationship-building and data-driven decision-making."

Tools like Gender Decoder can help flag biased language automatically.

2. Support a mentorship program

One of the biggest challenges women face at work? 

Lack of mentorship and support network. 

In Europe, only 22% of women say they have a senior leader advocating for their career growth.

✅ What to do:

• Internally: pair emerging women leaders with senior mentors inside your company.

• Externally: partner with external mentoring platforms like Lean In Circles, Women in Tech, or TheMentoringClub.

Even monthly 1:1 mentorship chats can significantly boost confidence and career progression.

3. Rethink promotion & pay raises

The gender pay gap in Europe still sits at 13%, and part of the issue is that women are less likely to negotiate salaries or push for promotions.

✅ What to do:

• Audit your team’s salaries. If there are unexplained gaps, fix them.

• Encourage women to apply for leadership roles. Studies show women wait until they’re overqualified before applying - support them in taking that step sooner!

• Make salary ranges transparent. Companies that disclose pay ranges reduce wage gaps significantly.

4. Increase representation in panels & meetings

Ever noticed all-male panels at conferences?

Or leadership meetings where the majority of voices are men?

✅ What to do:

• Before scheduling a panel, event, or leadership meeting, check the diversity of voices.

• If women are missing, actively invite them to participate.

• If you’re invited to speak at an all-male panel, ask organizers to include women experts.

5. Create a truly inclusive culture

Does your company say it’s inclusive, or does it really feel that way?

True inclusion means:

✅ Calling out biases in meetings, like when a woman’s idea is ignored, and then repeated by a man...

✅ Ensuring flexible work policies that support caregivers (because women still do 60% more unpaid care work than men).

✅ Listening: ask the women on your team what changes would help them succeed. Then act on it.

Remember, International Women’s Day isn’t just about celebrating progress, it’s about accelerating it.