Gender diversity: The real reason we are still talking about it by Karin Halliday, Senior Manager, Corporate Governance.
This paper clarifies the gender issue and aims to help identify and overcome the roadblocks that hold us back on the road to greater gender diversity. Our own particular roadblocks are likely to differ; for some it will be a lack of understanding around our own biases or about how diversity can impact productivity and performance. For others the roadblocks may well be a lack of understanding around fairness, about the impact of cognitive diversity or privilege, or how diversity also benefits men.
The implementation of a number of successful initiatives in Australia during the last five years has resulted in better gender diversity on company boards. Despite this progress, the answers given by some company chairmen in relation to gender diversity show how harmful unconscious bias can be. As employers, employees, educators, men, women and, yes, even investors, we all need to take ownership and become part of the solution.