Gender Equality is Good Business:
Beyond social justice concerns, there are sound business reasons for promoting gender equality.
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1. Including women in management roles can boost performance: In a global study, McKinsey and Company found a strong correlation between the proportion of women serving on a firm's executive board and how well that company performs both organizationally and financially. Women managers are more likely than their male counterparts to apply leadership behaviors known to improve organizational performance; these include developing people, articulating expectations and rewards, and serving as role models (Desvaux et al., 2010; European Commission, 2006).
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2. Gender bias can be expensive: Between 1997 and 2000, 10 drugs were withdrawn from the U.S. market because of life-threatening health effects—4 of these were more dangerous to women (US GAO, 2001). Part of the problem is that preclinical research testing has been done primarily in male animals (Beery et al., 2011; Wald et al., 2010 ).
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3. Tapping into women's knowledges can provide an economic edge: In many parts of Africa, women are responsible for water procurement. Consequently, women have detailed knowledge of soils and their water yield. Civil engineering teams deciding on well placement found that tapping into women's knowledge provides the best water yields. A study of water projects in 13 nations revealed that “equal representation and participation by women contributes to the success of community-managed water services” (Postma et al., 2003). Women’s participation correlates strongly with project sustainability as well (Gross et al., 2001).
Works Cited:
Beery, A., & Zucker, I. (2011). Sex Bias in Neuroscience and Biomedical Research. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 35 (3), 565-572. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T0J-50GMMFG-2-2&_cdi=4864&_user=145269&_pii=S0149763410001156&_origin=search&_ coverDate=07%2F08%2F2010&_sk=999999999&view=c&wchp=dGLzVtb-zSkWb&md5=6ea98596a885aef95db710d7ee200042&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
Desvaux, G., Devillard, S., & Sancier-Sultan, S. (2010). Women Matter 3: Women Leaders, a Competitive Edge In and After the Crisis. McKinsey and Company Publications, April.
European Commission Directorate-General for Research. (2006). Women in Science and Technology: The Business Perspective. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Gross, B., van Wijik, C., & Mukherjee, N. (2001). Linking Sustainability with Demand, Gender,
and Poverty: A Study in Community-Managed Water Supply Projects in 15 Countries. Delft, Netherlands: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre.
Kim, A., Tingen, C., & Woodruff, T. (2010). Sex Bias in Trials and Treatment Must End. Nature, 465 (7299), 688-689.
Postma, L., van Wijk, C., & Otte, C. (2003). Participatory Quantification in the Water and Sanitation Sector. Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) Notes, 47, 13-18. http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/9260IIED.pdf
United States General Accounting Office (GAO). (2001). Drug Safety: Most Drugs Withdrawn in Recent Years Had Greater Health Risks for Women. Washington, D.C.: Government Publishing Office (GPO).
Wald, C. & Wu, C. (2010). Of Mice and Women: The Bias in Animal Models. Science, 327, 1571-1572.
