Gender should not play a role in the workforce. I do not want to be given a position to simply check a box required by a Board to have X number of women vs. men. I want the job because I earned it and I am qualified for it AND I beat out other candidates simply because of my experience, qualifications and talent. If I do not get the position, it should be because the person (whether they be male or female) who did get it was a stronger candidate. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many organisations. 

You will often hear people refer to c-suites as the Ol' Boys Club, for obvious reasons, which is why it is necessary to shed light on the fact that gender equality in the workplace is still not where it needs to be in many cases.

In order to have a positive company culture, that stimulates creativity, teamwork, innovation and longevity the following must actually happen, and not just be written in the "equal opportunity employer" statement at the bottom of the company website:

• Equal pay and benefits for comparable roles with similar responsibilities
• Equal opportunities for promotions and career progression
• Equal consideration of needs

You also need executive leadership that seeks out excellence in their teams, to look beyond the stereotypical gender roles and look at actual performance. It is this thinking and leadership that will shift the paradigm. It is happening... now let's move faster on this trajectory to reach that equal playing field for all industries.