Women who attain top leadership positions should be admired for reaching those roles despite persistent systemic obstacles. Women still face unnecessary additional challenges across careers in business and politics, and progress toward gender parity has been very slow. Recent indicators show backsliding: female representation in senior executive roles has fallen and backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion threatens further setbacks. Prominent leaders merit recognition for their tenacity in entering spaces where women remain a small minority. Achievements can be supported while critiquing performance, and a few successes do not justify complacency toward full gender equality.
Female leaders who have reached the top should be admired for getting to where they are. And while Gaby Hinsliff makes many excellent points about the expectations placed on female leaders (Remember when having women in power was supposed to change everything?, 15 August), I believe we shouldn't stop acknowledging their achievements for getting there in the first place especially as we are still so far from gender parity.
The fact is, women continue to face unnecessary additional challenges throughout their careers, whether in business or politics. Although in recent decades we have seen signs of progress, with some female leaders elected and more businesses committing to achieving gender parity, the actual pace of change has been glacial at best. We are already seeing signs of backwards steps as people become complacent with gender parity and progress.
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