Women have had the right to vote for 100 years but experts believe that we will not achieve gender parity for another 135 years! 135 years is too long to wait for equality. The goal of this podcast is to accelerate this change by being a coach, mentor, and trusted friend for all of you who are ready now. Join the Parity Podcast community to build a more fair and equitable workplace so that we all have the same opportunities to develop, prosper, and grow.
— Cathy & Deborah
Our Strategy is the Parity Prescription
Solving gender inequality is a complex matter, but we are firm believers that problems are not solved until simple strategies are developed. Simple does not mean easy. Simple means breaking down a solution so that it is easily understood and can be widely implemented. Our signature Parity Prescription is a simple strategy that yields measurable results. The elements of the Parity Prescription spell SCRIPT so that they are easily remembered.
Breaking Down the SCRIPT
S - Stop Trying to Change Women
Our bookshelves are filled with advice about how women should think, act, dress, be confident, believe in yourself, be empowered. But women are not broken and we do not need special help. We should pivot away from “fixing” women and move towards the continuous improvement of everyone. You can learn more on this topic in Episode 1: How to Fight Gender Inequality with our Parity Prescription.
C - Create Diverse Teams
Diverse viewpoints result in more profitable businesses and create more satisfying workplaces where people want to stay longer. Creating a diverse team is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also smart business. You can learn more about the benefits of diverse teams in Episode 3: Action Steps to Shake it up with Diversity and Inclusion.
R - Recognize Unconscious Bias
Resulting from a lifetime of exposure to information and images reinforcing men’s primary role in the workplace, we all have unconscious bias against working women especially for leadership roles. Look up images for “professor” or “CEO” and you will find hundreds of pictures of mostly White men. The impact to women as we swim against this tide of gender bias is challenging, and for Black and other women of color, even more profound. You can learn more in Episode 2: How to Uncover Unconscious Bias So We Can See Women.
I - Intentionally Include
All employees should feel welcome, connected, and included in environments that encourage them to speak up and share their ideas. When we do not feel safe, we will not share our ideas. You can learn more about how to intentionally include everyone in Episode 3: Action Steps to Shake it up with Diversity and Inclusion.
P - Partner with Men as Allies
We need men to lean in as allies as we move towards a more equal workplace. Most men want women to succeed, but they do not always know how to help. You can learn more about males allies - how to find them and how to be them - in Episode 5: How Male Allies Can Lean In for Measurable Gains to Achieve Parity.
T - Talk about the Issues
We will not change the status quo and achieve gender parity unless we talk about the issues. We need to have open and frank conversations about gender bias to make change. You can learn more about talking about the issues in Episode 4: How to Have the Tough Conversations at Work.
Accolades
Our goal is to accelerate gender parity with the Parity Prescription, but we will not achieve our goals without you. You are our Number 1 priority, and with your help, we received incredible recognition from Feedspot and Listen Notes.
Feedspot ranked Parity Podcast among the Best 15 Gender Equality Podcasts for the last 3 years. Thank you listeners for helping us make this happen!
Listen Notes ranked Parity Podcast in the top 5% of all podcasts globally for the last 3 years. Just as with the Feedspot recognition, we would not be in the top 5% of all podcasts globally without you - thank you!
What Our Listeners Are Saying
“Hard to believe there is anything new to be covered on this topic, but Cathy and Deborah’s ideas gave me different ways to think about an old subject. I’m really looking forward to hearing more details in future episodes.”
-Listener Review on Apple Podcasts
“This podcast does a wonderful job of sharing women’s struggles without turning it into a rant, anti-male program, or victim-mentality podcast. It’s presented in a way that demands to be heard in its gentleness and sincerity.”
-Message from Listener
“You inspired me to be a sponsor and ally wherever and whenever I can.”
-Listener Review on Apple Podcasts
“You touched upon so many situations that most of us face in our lives and the difficulties we have in addressing them. The challenges of trying to fit in as a woman and having to change yourself to conform to the demands of the environmental around us, how to recognize and deal with unconscious bias or even conscious biases, how important it is to have diverse voices in the systems around us, importance of partnerships with men, etc.”
-Message from Listener in India
