In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, then-First Lady Hillary Clinton offered women an optimistic vision for gender parity when she repeated a phrase from the feminist movement: “Human rights are women’s rights, and women’s rights are human rights.”
Thirty years later, on March 12, 2025, at the Beijing+30: Addressing 21st Century Challenges to Gender Equality event at Columbia University, Secretary Clinton acknowledged the sobering reality of persistent gender inequities: “Any country that holds back women, by norms, by law, by force, is just hurting itself.”
Her words reflect the reality of this moment: while some things have improved, many outcomes are only nominally better than in 1995, and some – like the overturning of Roe v. Wade’s abortion protection, for example – are worse. The 2024 Lean In/McKinsey Women in the Workplace report underscored this disconnect: while more women have reached executive roles, their progress is fragile. Most women still report being overlooked for career opportunities, especially those that lead to leadership. The report projects that it will take 22 years for white women to achieve workplace parity and, double that, 48 years for women of color. And, as Dr. Kecia M. Thomas, Dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham College of Arts and Sciences, noted in a recent interview, “The growing number of women in C-suite positions, even if new staff positions, may inadvertently send a message that efforts to support women’s career development—and diversity overall—are no longer needed.”
Federal policies are also reversing progress. In the last two months, the Trump Administration dismissed two high-ranking women military officers, Admiral Linda Fagan and Admiral Lisa Franchetti. The administration also dismantled workplace protections for women and reversed reproductive rights by enforcing the Hyde Amendment.
Gender Parity: Progress And Challenges Since 1995
At that same event, Jennifer Klein, Professor of Professional Practice and director of the Institute for Global Politics Women’s Initiative, noted both progress and persistent challenges for women over the past 30 years.
According to Klein, women have made progress in (1) education globally, where the global gender gap in primary education has virtually closed. (2) maternal health, where the rate of maternal mortality worldwide has nearly halved, and (3) in legal rights, where advances have been made through international agreements, United Nations resolutions, and constitutional and legislative changes.
But challenges persist. According to a 2015 McKinsey report, if gender parity in work were achieved, global gross domestic product (GDP) could rise by $28 trillion. However, as Klein pointed out, women’s labor force participation has stagnated at just 36% since 1995. Women continue to bear the brunt of unpaid caregiving responsibilities. She also noted that women’s political representation remains inadequate, with only 26 out of 193 United Nations member states currently led by women. (That number increased to 27 when Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was sworn in as Namibia’s first female president on March 21, 2025. Another piece of good news from the event was former Chilean President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet telling Christiane Amanpour that she might run for the office of Secretary General of the United Nations. If she runs and is elected, that would be another global first for women).
What Women Can Do To Support Gender Parity
Despite these barriers, women are ambitious and want to progress. I spoke with three women who study and advise on women’s career advancement – Ellen Taaffe, Deepa Purushothaman, and Dr. Thomas. Their insights highlight how women can continue thriving, even if normative, legal, and structural barriers persist.
1. Own Your Career Narrative To Drive Gender Parity
Dr. Thomas is known for many things, including her “Pet to Threat” model. She warns that many women in leadership are placed in newly created roles, making them vulnerable when corporate priorities shift. She recommends the following actions to counter this risk:
- Build Networks Strategically Self-Promote: Deepa Purushothaman, speaker and author of “The First, The Few, The Only,” said, “We need to be more strategic about our networks because, right now, companies are looking for the easiest way to avoid controversy.” Don’t put all your eggs into your corporate network. Put as much energy into building non-overlapping networks as you put into building your corporate network (starting with your employer). Purposefully reach out to people outside your core discipline and your industry.
- Handle Your Career Like A Portfolio: Diversify your career exploration. Ellen Taaffe, Kellogg professor and author of “The Mirrored Door,” not only recommends this approach, saying, “Building a portfolio career—teaching, board leadership, writing—creates visibility and multiple income streams,” she also models it in her board roles, teaching, and writing. Deepa Purushothaman also exemplifies how writing and consulting can expand influence. She successfully transitioned from a corporate career to entrepreneurship.
- Adopt A “Yes … And” Approach To Career Decision-Making: One of the standard practices of improv theater is to be ready to add something to your acting partner’s words, even though you don’t know what they are thinking until they speak. This idea of saying “yes” to options even when you don’t have all the information is not typical career advice. However, like improv, with practice, using this approach can build self-confidence and encourage thoughtful career risk-taking.
2. Don’t Stay In Environments That Don’t Support Gender Parity
Dr. Thomas urges women to assess whether staying in toxic environments is worth the emotional toll.
- Explore New Paths: Dr. Thomas mentioned that “Often, we spend time evaluating different strategies to continue working in spaces where there appears to be no way to ascend—or worse, where there are no consequences for co-worker bullying, ostracism, or racist and/or sexist harassment.” She added that she would ask women in that situation, ”Why do you want to stay? Surprisingly, the thought of leaving often had not occurred to them, she said. However, women need to ensure they are not constraining their opportunities by limiting their own boundaries. Consider shifting roles, companies, and even industries where opportunity exists. Consider how you can leverage the job you have to get the job you want. If you are in an industry that seems manospheric, consider looking elsewhere for options.
- State Your Intentions Clearly: Be explicit about your career goals and the opportunities you seek. Help those who want to support your progress; it’s the only way they will understand what to do. Suppose you state those intentions in a company you like but are still not getting opportunities. In that case, Dr. Thomas suggests you consider taking on short-term assignments to prepare for future opportunities.
- Consider Entrepreneurship: More women, especially Black women, are launching businesses despite limited access to capital. According to the 2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report, Black-owned companies grew by over 40% in the last five years despite receiving less than 1% of venture capital funding.
3. Visibity Helps Drive Gender Parity
Deepa Purushothaman notes that as companies shy away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), women must proactively define their own solutions. She urges women to:
- Shape The Inclusion Narrative: Share experiences highlighting barriers to advancement, work on defining the solutions, and celebrate women’s accomplishments.
- Be Visible: Taaffe says, “Women assume their work will speak for itself, but that’s not how the system works. Women must communicate their impact regularly, not just in performance reviews but also in everyday conversations with key stakeholders. This is not just bragging, although Lisa Bragg, author of “Bragging Rights,” would say there is nothing wrong with being “so good that they can’t ignore you.”
- Create Your Ecosystem: In addition to actively cultivating human-to-human professional relationships, use all network-building tools at your disposal. That includes LinkedIn, company newsletters, and public speaking opportunities (inside and outside your employer’s organization) to enhance your visibility. When you do this, retain control of your intellectual capital. Use a personal email and website; don’t use your employer’s resources. If necessary, trademark, patent, and copyright what you create. Seek the advice of a licensed attorney to ensure you do not compromise your job or your creations.
The Path Forward To Gender Parity
As Errin Haines, editor-at-large and founder of the 19th, stated at the Beijing+30 event, “Beijing mattered. Beijing still matters.”
Clinton’s 1995 speech laid an optimistic foundation for gender parity, but her 2025 remarks reflect today’s harsher reality. Women cannot afford to wait for norms and systems to catch up. By defining success on their terms, building influence, and leveraging networks, they can continue progressing on gender parity – even in the face of resistance.