Voices of Women: Workplace + Society

While women perceive that gender equality and fairness are steadily getting better, their reality suggests otherwise. That’s according to the SheSpeaks Voices of Women: Workplace + Society Survey of over 1,000 women across the U.S., fielded the week before the start of Women’s History Month.

Major findings include:

  • 87% agree that women are not compensated fairly
  • 68% say in politics their voices are considered less than men’s
  • 72% say they handle more caregiving responsibilities than men

In the workplace:

  • 76% say it’s easier for women to get ahead in their careers than it was 10 years ago
  • 62% say that men are more open to having a female boss than they were 10 years ago
  • 56% say that women are closer than ever to achieving equal pay for equal work

However, they cite significant room for improvement:

  • 87% agree that women are not compensated as fairly as men
  • 76% say there is still a lot of sexism in the workplace
  • 79% say women are held to higher standards than men

Equal Pay Day was on March 14 this year (denoting how far into the year women must work to be paid what men were paid the previous year), the gender pay gap reinforces this reality.

Traditional stereotypes also persist as women in the workplace are perceived as “more emotional” (61%) vs. men and 78% say women are more empathetic than men.

Work/life balance:

Work-life balance and household division of labor are perceived to be improving:

  •  48% of women say it’s easier to balance work and home than it was 10 years ago
  •  53% feel that their current workplace gives them the work-life balance they need to succeed
  • 13% say they have quit a job in the past year to seek or accept a job with better work-life balance
  • 79% say men are more willing to help with household responsibilities than they were 10 years ago

However, household “division of labor” is still not a reality for women:

  • 72% say they handle more caregiving responsibilities (for elders, friends in need) than men do
  • 71% say they handle more of their household chores
  • 64% say they handle more of the parenting responsibilities
  • 34% say they handle more of the household budgeting/finances (only 7% say men do more of this work)

Check out the deck below for the rest of the results.

Methodology: SheSpeaks fielded the Voices of Women Survey online from February 24 – March 1, 2023. 1,150 women from across the US, ages 18+ completed the survey. 

SheSpeaks is the largest, most diverse community of female consumers and influencers in America. Known best for creating exciting, original and collaborative branded content, our influencer marketing campaigns are powered by active, engaged members and rich consumer insights. With a reach of more than 300 million consumers a month, SheSpeaks is an award-winning marketing and media powerhouse that provides unparalleled amplification of community and brand voices.

Questions or interested in more information? Reach out to missy.tiller@shespeaks.com