This just in: sexist workplace policies don't just harm women. According to an estimate by The World Bank, nations are losing about $160 trillion annually due to limitations on women's full participation in national economies. In other words, "Investing in gender equality isn’t just the right and fair thing to do; it pays off for everyone."
Women face many obstacles when entering and participating in the workforce. They also generally work fewer hours and earn less than men. Factors like violence against women, lacking access to reproductive health care, education, and financial services are all stacked against women, making it extremely difficult to enter the workforce at the same rates as men. In 2015, an analysis of 95 countries by McKinsey and Company estimated that if women participated in economies at the same rate as men, it could add up to $28 trillion to GDP'sby 2025, and 26 percent would be added to the global economy. If the people in charge know their sexist policies are harming them directly and not just the women they affect, perhaps then they'll consider changing them. Spreading awareness of these statistics are crucial.
