How inequality works
Breaking Barriers discussion series
Barriers represent the most common lived experience of inequality at work – like having your difference devalued at work. This discussion series unpacks the most common barriers at work, across all areas of difference.
It’s on all of us to take action to make our workplaces truly inclusive. Whether you’ve got thoughts, personal stories, or possible actions, let’s start the conversation today.
Get started!
Watch the video explaining how the barrier shows up at work.
Select a conversation card to discuss with a peer or in a group or team setting.
Create a safe and brave space to listen and learn from each other
Use the questions to prompt candid dialogue and share ideas on how to create a more inclusive workplace.
Reflect on actionable advice you can start to apply in your daily life and at work.
Choose a barrier to break:
Overcoming the Invisible Barriers That Hold Women Back At Work
THE ACHIEVEMENT PHASE
The Achievement Phase marks the beginning of the career track for many women. During this phase women are mainly concerned with “doing it all and having it all.” Women work hard and try to advance – believing they alone are in control of their career success. The challenges unfold over the course of these years, as women are held to higher performance standards and have less access to promotion opportunities or powerful individuals.
The Endurance phase
The barriers women face during the midpoint of their careers, balancing management and motherhood.
It is important to state that regardless of whether women have children or not, most women in this second phase experience the challenges of managing the incompatibility of work and home life.
THE CONTRIBUTION PHASE
This third and final phase of women’s careers covers the common barriers women leaders face.
The barriers women experience do not disappear once they become leaders. In fact, women are more likely to be confronted with gender inequality when they lead because they are exposed to discrimination and marginalisation at every level of the organisation, especially when they work in leadership teams and manage departments that are dominated by men.