Inclusion as a work in progress

THE world observed International Women’s Day (IWD) three weeks ago, but at Deloitte Philippines, we’ve opted to spend the entire month of March highlighting women at work and the importance of advocating for them. While the Philippines has built a reputation as a gender-equal nation — we have consistently ranked high on the Global Gender Gap Index, the World Economic Forum’s annual measurement of gender equality — there is no arguing that we still have work to do in making all spaces inclusive and equitable for women. The latest index, for example, shows the country slipping on two subindices: political empowerment and health and survival. And it’s not lost on us in the private sector that boardrooms continue to be heavily dominated by men.

In the workplace, women still have a tougher time balancing their work/life responsibilities due to persistent gender stereotypes. In a recent Deloitte and Workplace Intelligence survey of 700 full-time managers through senior leaders in the financial services sector, about 85 percent of women and men respondents say they have primary or shared caregiving responsibilities. But guess who ends up shouldering a greater share of that important duty?