The ‘choice’ that many women make in their careers after having children, such as moving to family-friendly companies and roles that are more flexible but often less well paid, is heavily influenced by societal expectations of women as primary caregivers and a lack of affordable childcare, and in that sense, isn’t a true personal choice.
This was one key point from Professor Raina Brands’s discussion at the FT Women in Business Summit on the 16th June. Professor Brands highlighted the systemic barriers women face in the workplace due to a lack of government-funded childcare, the resulting gender pay gap and the long-term impact on women’s earnings and career attainment.
In conversation with the FT’s Chief Data Reporter John Burn-Mordoch, Raina pointed out that globally the gender gap is shrinking on factors such as educational attainment and health, but economically has some way to go.
The event, held at the Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane, featured insightful discussions and talks from women business leaders including investor Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and broadcaster Rochelle Humes, Nationwide CEO Dame Debbie Crosbie, SVP of Estée Launder Pernilla Nyberg, MP Yuan Yang and Chrystia Freeland, former deputy Prime Minister of Canada. Author and advocate Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe also spoke about her time in prison and what, several years after being freed, what she has now learned from the experience.
In her discussion, Raina also pointed to the impact of AI on women’s careers, highlighting that the sectors most vulnerable to disruption are those that tend to employ more women than men. “This is a looming risk for women,” she said. “They have chosen sectors that accommodate care giving, but now they are the sectors most at risk for disruption.”
Raina’s advice: women navigating the major transition into parenthood should feel empowered to negotiate with their partners for greater equality in household labour, and to keep their own careers a priority rather than being the first thing to give way. Staying in paid work matters for their long-term earnings trajectory, and that trajectory is far easier to protect when the load at home is shared. Workplaces, for their part, need to recognise that bringing women into the office isn’t enough on its own. Without a real cultural shift, women entering male-dominated workforces won’t develop the sense of belonging that keeps them there.
Over 400 people attended the summit, organised by FT Live, which is held annually to celebrate achievements, network with industry peers, and discuss the challenges and opportunities women face in business.
