Middle aged older business woman working on laptop in office

‘Am I Useless Now?’ Older Women Deserve Better

Ageism commonly affects women over 40 in the workplace.

In spite of their tremendous wisdom and experience, women over 40 may be passed over for new roles or promotions, or simply not consulted about their needs and goals. Research tells us that age-based exclusion and discrimination are magnified for older racialized women who are at the intersection of age, race, and gender.

On a recent podcast episode, Margaret Spence, the Founder of The Inclusion Learning Lab and The Employee to CEO Project, recounted her experience at a Women’s ERG presentation:

“A woman raised her hand and she said ‘I’ve been with this organization for 23 years. And in 23 years, nobody has ever asked me about my career goals or what I want. And now they’re coming in and building career goal programs for women who are much younger.”

This kind of neglect is rampant in the corporate environment, but it doesn’t have to be! This week, we’re inviting you to reflect on what your own organization is doing to elevate the voices of older women and to combat ageism at every level.

ISSUE BACKGROUNDER

Black woman holding newspaper at desk, looking off to the left
McKinsey & Company

The 2023 Women in the Workplace Report

Conducted by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.Org, this effort is the largest study of women in corporate America and Canada. The report is based on information from 276 participating organizations employing more than ten million people, and it provides an intersectional look at the specific biases and barriers faced by racialized women.

FEATURED RESOURCE

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Championing Women in Business Toolkit

This toolkit offers a checklist of practical steps to help employers recruit, retain, and promote more women and bring them onto boards. There are four main areas in which companies can support women in the workplace and set them up to succeed: Recruit, Retain, Promote, and Get on Boards. For each of these areas, the toolkit offers suggestions that can be scaled and adapted for your workplace.

GO DEEPER

Inclusion Unscripted with Margaret Spence

Ageism Is Real: The Power Voices of Women Over 40

In this podcast episode of Inclusion Unscripted, host Margaret Spence tackles this important topic head-on with Alicia Dara, Editor and Chief of Women Cake Magazine. Together, they delve into the essential dynamics for women over 40 and explore how we can elevate women’s voices and combat ageism. Don’t miss this powerful conversation on ageism and women over 40.

FEATURED SNIPPET PROGRAM​

Anti-Black Racism

This intermediate-level program highlights the lived experiences of Black colleagues in the workplace, ranging from “inadvertent” comments to systemic hiring discrimination. It empowers learners to identify and disrupt racial discrimination, to practice allyship, and to seek system-level changes to help combat Anti-Black Racism. This program was co-created by Camille Dundas, the co-founder of byblacks.com and a DEI and intersectionality expert.

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