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The evolution of women鈥檚 experiences in the workplace

Nominations for the 2024 Women Leaders Awards opened at a launch event in Milton Keynes. Dr Deirdre Anderson was invited to deliver a keynote address on the topic of the evolution of women鈥檚 experiences in the workplace. This is an extract from her speech.

In a wide-ranging keynote speech, Dr Anderson addressed many issues that women have faced in the work environment, including taboos around fertility and menopause, the motherhood penalty, limited flexible working, leadership development and career opportunities, and the importance of organisational culture change.

Dr Anderson was passionate on this point 鈥淲omen don鈥檛 need fixing.鈥� She is uncomfortable with any approach which implies that fixing the challenges women face in the workplace (being overlooked for promotion, unrealistic time demands, etc) somehow lies with the woman. Instead, Cranfield works with organisations to ensure that Women鈥檚 Leadership Programmes are embedded into ongoing organisational change initiatives which reduce the systemic and structural inequalities faced by women and other under-represented groups.

So, what has changed in the work environment over the years? According to Dr Anderson 鈥淥vert discrimination has arguably reduced, but it鈥檚 been replaced by more subtle second-generation gender bias. This can include a lack of realistic role models, and the 鈥榙ouble bind鈥� which women experience when, for example, they display behaviour considered assertive in a man but that is seen as aggressive in a woman, and thus criticised rather than rewarded. When women take charge, they may well be viewed as competent leaders, but can experience being disliked for their 鈥榤asculine鈥� behaviour. We鈥檙e damned if we do, doomed if we don鈥檛, but getting it right is the challenge.鈥�

Getting it right is what Dr Anderson helps women and organisations do through her teaching and research at Cranfield. She not only lectures on MSc and MBA courses, she鈥檚 also Director of the Women鈥檚 Leadership Programme (WLP).

鈥淥ur programmes encourage women to reflect on their career to date, the motivators and drivers, the opportunities they鈥檝e embraced and the challenges they鈥檝e overcome. We provide a safe environment to experiment and implement ideas and concepts which allow women to build on their existing achievements and successes, whilst being authentic and true to themselves. Importantly, we offer a greater understanding of intersectionality and cross-cultural sensitivity, recognising the inequalities faced by women of many different backgrounds. Change is still needed in many areas, but the work of networks like Women Leaders UK is helping to shift the dial, by promoting the outstanding successes of so many talented women and supporting lasting change within employing organisations.鈥�