Although women make up approximately half (47%) of the workforce in the United Kingdom, gender equality remains a distant goal. The gender pay gap is gradually narrowing, with the current UK figure at 13.5%. Here’s an alarming fact: at the current rate, it will take 46 years to achieve pay equality.

March 8 2025 is International Women’s Day. It’s the perfect time to illustrate why we should value our female workforce. Employers have an ethical responsibility to be fair and inclusive. If we get this right, there are economic benefits to be gained:

• Continual improvements in female participation rates in the UK would lead to an aggregate increase in its GDP of approximately £43.5 billion by 2030.
• Greater integration of women has the potential not only to boost productivity and economic growth, but also to enhance economic diversity, reduce income inequality and strengthen the overall skills base.
• Even a 5% increase in the total number of women in employment In the UK could boost GDP by £125bn per annum.

(Sources: Stastista 2024, PwC, 2025)

Now is the perfect time to focus on attracting and retaining female workers.

Adding Value

Encouraging more women to work in offers exciting potential for organisations:

• Soft skills are general traits needed for most jobs, such as teamwork, problem solving, communication, adaptability and interpersonal skills. Women have a 28% higher share of soft skills than men. The gap is growing. (Fortune, 2024)
• Diverse views and approaches can create innovation in any situation, and a range of skill sets can contribute to solutions. Women can offer a different perspective and enhance the capabilities of teams.
• There are financial gains to be realised too. Look at our statistics above.

Why do Employees Work for You?

What can employers do to attract and keep talent, including female workers?

Employee Value Proposition (EVP) involves understanding what successful employees most like about working in your organisation. Why do they work for you?

‘Asking your employees for feedback on their job, your organisation and how they feel about work, is all part of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP),’ explains Emma Clack of Heneom HR. ‘There are many parts to your EVP because it’s all about understanding the culture of your business, why it is unique and what it stands for.

‘Your EVP will flow through all aspects of your organisation – from whom and how you recruit, to the culture of the organisation, the ways of working, the communication and teamwork … it’s an endless thread even incorporated in how and why people leave your business.’

A proactive EVP making a positive difference to workplace culture is how your organisation can stand out and attract top talent. EVP policies typically involve five pillars:

1. Compensation
2. Career development
3. Work-life balance
4. Company culture
5. Purpose and mission

Are you positively encouraging female workers?

Attracting and retaining female employees requires:

• creating inclusive workplace cultures,
• offering flexible working arrangements, and
• providing targeted recruitment and development programs.

Let’s make this happen! Encouraging women into work widens the talent pool available, facilitates greater innovation and drives economic growth. Retaining their valuable skills makes your business more resilient too. What’s stopping you?