Why many women leaders are quitting their jobs in what is being called the Great Breakup

Women leaders in the United States have begun quitting their jobs in record numbers in a movement that is being called the ‘Great Breakup.’ According to a recent survey by McKinsey in partnership with LeanIn.org, it was found that women remain dramatically underrepresented in corporate America despite a certain amount of progress recently. Did you know that only 1 in every 4 executive-level leaders is a woman? Only 1 in 20 is a woman of color.

Why are women leaders leaving their jobs?

The researchers have narrowed down the main reasons why women are demanding more from their jobs. These are:

1. Women leaders are facing more obstacles than men
   
2. Women leaders are under-appreciated and overworked
3. Women leaders want a different work culture

Many women leaders feel bigger barriers than men in the workplace

Female workers have just the same amount of ambition and desire for promotions as their male counterparts. However, women experience more “microaggressions that undermine their authority” which affects their career advancement. More often, women as viewed as unqualified or mistaken as being more junior. This discrimination is even bigger when it comes to women of diverse groups. Women from different races, and sexual orientations, and those with disabilities face bigger obstacles during career advancement. Black women and Latinas receive less career development support from their managers and have less psychological safety in the office. Some other groups of women facing more microaggressions are women with disabilities and LGBTQ+ women.

Flexible work culture is more important for female workers

After the Covid pandemic, a substantial portion of the US workforce is demanding work-from-home options. More job seekers are interested in employers who provide remote or hybrid work opportunities. The report states that this is more important for women. Female workers who were given the option to work from home say that they feel happier in their jobs and that they experience less burnout. These women are less likely to want to leave their jobs. Female workers who get to work remotely at least partially state that they have higher levels of psychological safety and experience fewer microaggressions. This is even more apparent for women of color, women with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ women.

The gender equality gap remains wide all over the globe

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, we will need another 132 years to achieve gender equality worldwide. Out of the 146 countries whose economies were surveyed, only 1 in 5 has managed to close the gap by 1% in the past year. Iceland remains on top for the 13^th consecutive year as the most gender-equal country in the world.