dinero_admin Every march 8th is commemorated as International Women’s Day, the aim of which, according to the United Nations, is to recognize “ordinary women as architects of history and to highlight the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men”. ESET, a leading proactive threat detection company, analyzes the current situation of the gender gap in the workplace, the presence of the glass ceiling, the mental burden that this reality generates and the actions that companies can take to contribute to equity.
To contextualize, the cybersecurity industry, for example, in 2023 the number of cybersecurity professionals globally amounted to 5,452,732 (in Latin America, the number was 1,285,505) and only 25% were women. In line with this, the International Economic Fund indicates that less than half of women actively participate in the global labor market, compared to 72% of men. Furthermore, according to the Global Gender Gap Report published this year by the World Economic Forum, it will not be possible to achieve full gender wage parity until 2058.
In the Latin American and Caribbean region, the International Labor Organization highlights that, although there has been progress, “gender inequalities” are still evident. In 2024 “the female participation rate remained at 52.1%, well below that of men (74.3%)”. And it adds: “Women earn on average 20% less than men, and continue to be exposed to higher unemployment rates and lower quality jobs”.
Julieta Escolar, Human Resources Manager for ESET Latin America in the Buenos Aires office, analyzes: “The salary gap, not only because of the lack of access to management positions, but also because of the equality of positions and hierarchy, continues to be a challenge. Although companies are starting to map and try to find solutions, it is something that not many can solve in the short/medium term”.
The glass ceiling
Another aspect of this problem is the glass ceiling, which invisibly but tangibly limits the growth and development of women in business. Specifically, the glass ceiling refers to the set of unwritten rules within organizations that make it difficult for women to gain access to top management positions. Its invisibility is a result of the absence of visible laws and codes. According to the Russell Reynolds Associates CEO Turnover Index, by 2024, women will account for only 11% of CEO appointments globally (24 women versus 196 men).
Carla Araujo, Marketing Manager for ESET Brazil, acknowledges: “In my professional career, I have always worked mostly with male managers and colleagues. On several occasions, I noticed veiled, never direct, but present questions about the ability of women to assume leadership positions. In addition, I witnessed several situations in which male colleagues were promoted while women, with equal or even superior qualifications, were disregarded”.
Mental burden
A recent study by the University of Bath and the University of Melbourne confirms that women take on 71% of household mental workload tasks, i.e. those necessary for family life to run smoothly, including scheduling, planning, and organizing tasks. In addition, the research, based on the opinions of 3,000 U.S. parents, indicates that women perform 79% of daily tasks, more than twice as many as men (37%).
The role of business in contributing to equity
Companies and organizations can play a key role in closing the gender gap
“Companies should start working to ensure that their management team is as diverse as possible, including not only women in these roles, but also seeking to ensure that their personal realities are diverse, and thus have different points of view to address the company’s problems. To this end, they should evaluate whether their promotion systems are fair and equitable to avoid any bias”, Escolar proposes
Carla Araujo concludes: “Equality in the corporate environment not only means offering equal opportunities, but also guaranteeing fair conditions for growth. Diversity must go beyond gender: an inclusive environment considers different profiles, experiences, and backgrounds. When companies invest in diversity, you get new ideas, different points of view and, consequently, better results”.
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