On the occasion of a new commemoration of Women’s Day, we invite you to read the column written by our partner Ariela Agosin, where she addressed the advances, setbacks and the road ahead in terms of gender.
In the framework of a new commemoration of Women’s Day, lawyer Ariela Agosin is part of the Special 8M of EstadoDiario, a space in which lawyers and professionals related to the legal world write about the participation of women in their respective areas, and reviewing the current state of various areas of law and its practice.
Simone de Beauvoir said “Feminism is a way of living individually and fighting collectively”. This is absolutely true, it is a way in which each woman lives and it is also a struggle that can only be carried out collectively. This is how we women have understood it, especially in recent times, when many have united to make visible a movement that seeks to stop gender violence and achieve equality in opportunities, obligations and treatment.
In recent times, we have obtained small triumphs aimed at opening doors, breaking the glass ceiling and shortening the gaps. I am referring both to the controversial quotas and to public and international policies that promote women’s participation and security.
These measures, which have been the subject of heated discussions, have had clear effects, allowing more women to gain access to leadership positions, breaking the circle in which the top management was made up exclusively of men, who therefore only knew and recommended each other.
A few days ago, on the occasion of Women’s Month, I was asked if the gender gap was due to a shortage of women leaders or a lack of visibility. Clearly, there are countless women who are or can be role models and, therefore, the problem lies in visibility and this is precisely due to the low representation of women in leadership positions.
For their part, the results indicate the success of these policies and empirically demonstrate the economic benefits of incorporating more women into the labor market and into leadership positions. Indeed, figures show that closing the gender gap could add up to $28 trillion to global GDP by 2025 (McKinsey Global Institute). Similarly, studies by the same consulting firm show that executive boards with female members are far more productive than all-male boards.
The impact is undeniable. We can imagine then that the desired growth in Chile is impossible without policies aimed at closing this gap. On the contrary, moving in that direction will unquestionably produce positive economic effects. The same can be extrapolated to law firms, which, with programs that support women, can obtain and retain more talent, adding quality and productivity to their teams.
However, and despite the evidence of the usefulness of gender policies, it is particularly disappointing to see that all the progress made today is in retreat, many associate these measures to a woke extremism and see it as a threat. It is this prejudice that has led to the cancellation, nationally and internationally, of programs designed for these purposes. Of course, this is a huge mistake, for while all extremes are harmful, by maintaining a reasonable view of the objectives pursued and the means necessary to achieve them, it is possible to recognize the measures that have produced positive effects, effects that benefit society as a whole.
There is still a long way to go and the gaps are still enormous. Therefore, and recognizing that this is not a peaceful issue, I believe it is essential to continue in the collective struggle to maintain these policies that have allowed us to lift the barriers so that women and men can shine equally according to our capabilities, contributing to the growth and sustainability of our companies, businesses and economies.
Column written by:
Ariela Agosin | Partner | aagosin@az.cl
