Saturday, Jan. 21 2017, was the day of the Women’s March, a legendary worldwide protest advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion and workers’ rights. This event was the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history.

One of the many controversial topics that was  showcased at the Women’s March was inequality in the workplace. The workplace has avidly been known to be unequal and competitive, but when it comes to gender equality, the workplace manifests this disadvantage to its full prominence with fewer promotions, lower pay and less career support for women. Not to stereotype corporate offices, but as a woman who works a part-time job and is a full-time student, to move forward with my career it would be nice to know that women in the workplace are getting equal recognition for their equal (sometimes greater ) efforts to advance themselves in their own career.

I, being the feminist I am, look up to women in the workplace who are regarded respectfully, as they have worked independently to achieve success and challenge gender roles, in order to open the door for all young women who wish to excel in the workforce. Women like Oprah Winfrey, Clara Barton, Estée Lauder and Sophia Amoruso are the epitome of 21st century business women and have pursued their dreams to become some of the world’s most powerful women at work.

Female leaders inspire other women to develop a sense of purpose, to become leaders with open arms to opportunity. According to the Mckinsey & Company organization, less than half of leading positions in U.S. corporations are employed by women. Corporations like these skim the surface of  actual gender diversity within their leading positions. Though skill may be present, it is true that the odds of a woman being handed an entry-level profession as a leader of a company is less  likely than a man’s.

Gender diversity is not a priority when it comes to a candidate resume. I am not saying that diversity should come before skill or merit, but I am saying that women deserve career success. Greater gender diversity doesn’t translate to more profit, but according to the Mckinsey & Company organization, being not only gender diverse but also ethnically diverse causes better consumer inclination (high estimates consumer choice in market competition) and employee satisfaction in the workplace. This shouldn’t compel companies to be diverse only to increase employee satisfaction rates, but we should aim for gender diversity to recognize that women can perform and achieve excellence, having the full advantage to represent leadership. As our knowledge about a new generation evolves, it’s time for us to focus on enhancing diverse leadership and giving coherent recognition to the hard-working women who now face the challenges of being a woman in the workplace.

Facts from Mckinsey & Company website