How to reverse the trend of women leaving the workforce

The pandemic is worsening the global gender gap by a stunning margin.

While it was previously projected to take 99 years to close that gap, according to the World Economic Forum, it will now take 135 years to do so. Since early 2019, more women have lost their jobs than men, more are considering leaving the workforce or downsizing their careers, and more are disproportionately shouldering pandemic-era burdens, such as childcare responsibilities.

While the “She-cession” has generated awareness, acting now to address the setbacks is crucial. The pandemic has clarified the need for a major course correction across organizations and industries to support, recruit, retain and advance women. As advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), corporate leaders must ask themselves: How can we change our policies, procedures and approaches to right the wrongs that have occurred during COVID?

What can companies do now to try and turn back the losses exacerbated by the pandemic? Knowing where to start is often the first hurdle, so here are some ideas.