This is more than simply a party. It is an open discussion regarding the progress made in the insurance sector toward gender equality and the progress that remains.
There is talent. What, therefore, is preventing women?
The problem is not getting women to work in insurance. Talent abounds in the pipeline. What follows—or rather, what doesn’t—is the issue.
Many women stall before achieving senior leadership roles, even if they are well-represented in early careers. Why? Gunjali Rana, AVP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at CNA (and part of Insurance Business’s 5-Star DE&I winners), alludes to more than simply the usual culprit of unequal pay. She draws attention to the more subtle, systemic flaws that are frequently overlooked, such as a lack of visibility, uneven access to stretch assignments, and unequal opportunities for sponsorship and mentoring.
The subtlety is that it goes beyond statistics and policies. It has to do with systems, culture, and habits that subtly support linear careers unaffected by burnout, relocation, or caregiving.
Creating Bridges Through Meaningful Action and Mentoring Representation is a duty, not a catchphrase. Additionally, insurers are starting to view it as such.
Accenture’s representative on the Black Insurance Industry Collective (BIIC) Leadership Council, Trina Bowser, discusses how businesses are actively collaborating with BIIC to create initiatives that go beyond token gestures. These programs emphasize genuine career advocacy by matching up aspiring women and diverse professionals with mentors who are advocates rather than merely supporters.
This work is crucial because mentorship opens doors, but sponsorship enables people to walk through them.
Workplace Caregivers: The Invisible Balancing Act
Giving care is a second job, not a side one. Seventy percent of workers worldwide are responsible for providing care for elderly parents, children, or other people, according to the Accenture Future of Work research. Despite the fact that women bear a disproportionate amount of this burden, the traditional professional ladder rarely takes it into consideration.
Our panelists discuss strategies they have personally employed to balance those responsibilities and stay competitive, including flexible scheduling, remote work choices, encouraging supervisors, and, in certain situations, the bold notion of asking for what you need without feeling guilty about it. These are not luxuries. They are retention tactics.
Because, let us be honest, policies that acknowledge the complexity of bright women’s lives are necessary to keep them in the workforce, not just catchphrases about “balancing.”
Serving Above and Beyond the Status Quo with Inclusive Insurance
Another colleague who is making waves in this field, Heather Sullivan, recently wrote a blog post discussing the significance of inclusive insurance—creating goods and services that cater to underserved or historically underrepresented communities. This is a business opportunity as well as a moral requirement. Everyone benefits when women and different communities are taken into account when designing and delivering products.
This duty belongs to the industry as a whole, not simply to one division or campaign. Period.
Living Without Boundaries: Celebrating the Inspirational Women
Accenture’s theme for International Women’s Day this year is “Be Without Limits.” We concluded our discussion by paying tribute to the women who have lived up to that motto, whether it was a historical person whose bravery endures, a mentor who helped overcome imposter syndrome, or a colleague who broke down boundaries without losing their footing.
It served as a potent reminder that being flawless is not the goal of living “without boundaries.” It is about not letting obsolete standards, presumptions, or institutions confine you.
Concluding remarks
Gender equity in insurance is a business issue, not merely a problem for women. Innovation rises when women do. Empathy is no exception. So do financial performance, morale, and retention.
Let us do more than just think about this International Women’s Day. Let us renew our commitment to creating an industry where the boundaries are defined by talent rather than gender.
