Amid the celebration of Women’s History Month, some pretty stark facts regarding equity in the workplace remain.

So, while we fully endorse sharing inspirational quotes and collegial callouts on LinkedIn and other social media platforms this March, we can’t help but note that it’s equally important to be informed of the latest key research about women at work – in the printing industry and throughout the global workforce.

To this end, we’ve culled the research to recommend one of the most comprehensive – and constructive – studies available on this topic, the McKinsey & Co + LeanIn.org “Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report.”

Here are just a few reasons why we like it so much:

  • It examines every stage of the corporate pipeline, covering roles from entry-level to C-suite and dissects further by demographics like race, ethnicity, disability and/or sexual orientation.
  • It looks specifically at day-to-day work experiences, and addresses issues like work-life balance, ageism, and the competing demands on employees who are also caregivers at home.
  • It honestly assesses corporate practices related to women’s advancement – even before the 2025 trend of eliminating DEI programs. It looks at whether companies are collectively moving forward or backsliding on efforts like de-biasing hiring practices or implementing employee resource groups.
  • It gives a frank view of how men in the corporate world view their role in advancing women; for instance, how senior-level men can and do influence their male protoges’ attitudes toward allyship.

The main reason we recommend this article, though, is because of its whiz bang conclusion that includes a scorecard that every printing company regardless of shape or size can use to analyze progress on recruiting, retaining and advancing women in their organizations.

The checklist serves not only as a grading mechanism, but also a list of suggested actions companies can implement to move forward in this area. Be sure to share this resource with your company’s DEI point person or HR team.

Review the executive summary or dig deep into the data-rich report. Either way, give yourself kudos for taking time to truly examine the state of women in the workplace as part of your Women’s History Month celebration.

Extra Content: Hear a Millennial-GenX discussion on the Women in the Workplace report in this Two Blondes & a Printer podcast featuring guest Lisbeth Lyons Black, director of Women in Print Alliance.