Global Women's Leadership Network - Pink Paper

6 | 2021 GWLN Pink Paper FIGURE 4. KEY ISSUES AND ACTIONS TO ADVANCE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN THE CREDIT UNION SECTOR 1. PROMOTE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP 2. CONFRONT EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT GENDER BIAS 3. SUPPORT WORK/LIFE BALANCE 4. INCREASE WOMEN’S CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM w Deepen credit union succession planning emphasizing women’s leadership roles w Organize Women’s Leader Connectedness Sessions w Offer growth assignments for women to learn new skills and gain experience and adopt robust mentorship programs w Actively invest in, promote, and champion women and other diverse leaders w Map membership base and set leadership diversity targets that mirror membership w Offer sessions and services that reinforce the importance of well-being and stress reduction w Examine/re-examine work policies and expand flexible and remote work options w Advocate for yourself – get in the room w Build and grow networks and use them strategically w Set up a personal board of advisors comprised of women inside and outside the credit union sector w Create a personal strategic plan and review personal growth performance regularly w Examine unconscious assumptions about leadership and gender w Advocate for yourself, and advocate for other women w Speak up for work/life boundaries w Make a personal commitment to examine overachievement w Offer listening groups, support mechanisms such as psychological or spiritual counseling, and other interventions w Destigmatize mental health to address employee well-being w Be willing to examine yourself w Develop and implement a confidence development plan, with support from trusted others w Explore and request organizational support for individual therapy, spiritual counseling, and other interventions w Promote diversity at all levels of the organization (gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.) w Build and reinforce an organizational culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion and does not tolerate harassment of any kind w Listen and learn about racism, white privilege, and sexual/racialized trauma w Contribute to organizational culture change by making personal commitment to speak up and act against injustice ISSUE WHAT CREDIT UNIONS CAN DO WHAT WOMEN CAN DO We for She II. SUMMARY OF G LN SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN CREDIT UNIONS Based on input from our network on the most common issues women face, GWLN recommends the following actions. 5. CONFRONT RACIAL INJUSTICE AND HARASSMENT t t t t t 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Caribbean Gender Age Pregnancy/Maternity Socio-economic status Race/Ethnicity Sexual orientation 10% 14% 12% 5% 27% 33% 23% 23% 24% Latin America Africa s Lack of adequate training Family responsibilities Lack of confidence to advocate for themselves Major Reason Minor Reason Board Members CEOs 0% 10% Mean Percent of Women in Credit U 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 70% 50% 30% 10% 90%