As 2021 comes to a close, we as nonprofit leaders find ourselves existing in a kind of liminal space, sandwiched somewhere between the “before times” and aspirational “better times.” The “before times” would be those fictional, yet no less familiar, times in which leaders were trusted because of their knowledge, what they knew to be true. And leaders inspired others, because they were able to build on that knowledge to create a vision, a simultaneously aspirational and possible goal, that when reached would represent a future better than the present – for their teams, their organization, and for the issue they were trying to solve.

But how do we enter the next year after a challenging 2021, with the confidence that we have both the knowledge, and the inspiration, to forge ahead and be better?

First, by grounding ourselves in the real, tangible data points that have been collected in the areas of leadership and gender in the workplace that can serve to empower all leaders in creating a healthier and more just workplace and society tomorrow.

Five Things We Know Now:

  1. We know we are still in the midst of the “Great Resignation.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 3% of the U.S. workforce resigned in October. The percentage of women either unemployed or looking for work dropped to the lowest level since February, and this is what drove the workforce participation drop that month. Experts guessed that schools reopening in the fall would support a return to the workforce for women. We know from the October jobs report that did not happen.
  2. We know that a gender gap persists in our nonprofit organizations, where 70% of the workforce identifies as female, but only 25% of the largest nonprofits are run by women, in contrast to 60% of the smallest nonprofits.
  3. We know that a gender pay gap of 13-20% persists in our nonprofit organizations for organizations of budgets over $1M, and increases as the organization budget size increases, according to Candid’s 2020 report.
  4. We know that the vast majority of women have experienced gender-based harassment in their lives, and roughly 40% have experienced it in the workplace in a diversity of sectors, from tech to the fast food industry, with a common risk factor being working in a setting with significant power differentials.
  5. And we know that gender-based discrimination and disrespectful behavior continues in workplaces, with Black women, women with disabilities and queer women most likely to have their competency questioned on the job and to experience other microaggressions.

We also know that we are not currently doing enough to create and sustain diverse, healthy and equitable workplaces.

Read the full article about improving gender equity in the workplace by Elana Wien at eJewish Philanthropy.