The latest Payscale Gender Pay Gap Report confirms what we already know: the gender pay gap is real, persistent, and resistant to quick fixes. Women – particularly women of colour and mothers – continue to earn less than men, even when controlling for role, experience and education.
While transparency around pay data is crucial, it’s only the beginning. If we want to move from reporting gaps to closing them, we need to think bigger. This means reshaping leadership, rethinking systems and ensuring that equity is a measurable outcome that is embedded in how we work.
Culture shift
Too often, organisations invest in leadership development that equips individuals but leaves systems untouched. If we’re serious about closing pay gaps, organisations must work with business schools that understand how to challenge bias, reshape organisational culture and build equity into the very DNA of leadership.
Prioritise leadership upskilling for women
Leadership development for women remains vital, but let’s be clear: women should not have to fix a system they didn’t design. Equity will only become sustainable when men are active, informed partners in the work. Our research, based on action learning with leaders across Europe and MENA, highlights the importance of engaging men across four stages of allyship, from apathy to advocacy. Real progress happens when male leaders are supported to reflect, challenge norms and act with integrity.
Promote pay transparency
Transparency is powerful. It brings hidden inequalities into the light and builds trust. But transparency must not be performative. Leaders must be held accountable for closing gaps, not just acknowledging them. That means embedding gender equity KPIs into manager scorecards, reward systems, and performance evaluations.
Normalise inclusive practices for parents and caregivers
The pay gap is inseparable from the caregiving gap. We need to build working cultures where parental leave, flexible schedules and career pauses are seen as normal, not detrimental. And we must design these policies with everyone in mind. When men take parental leave and flexible work becomes a leadership norm, we begin to dismantle the structures that penalise women.
Accountability
Intentional action needs reinforcement. Leaders should be expected, and supported, to build inclusive, equitable teams. This means investing in leadership development that goes beyond ‘awareness training’ and includes structured reflection, safe dialogue, skills and accountability mechanisms. Equity must be part of every manager’s mandate, not a side initiative.
Address the 'male issue' through partnership, not guilt
Men are underrepresented in gender equity efforts. We need to create space for men to step in with humility and learn. When men become visible champions for equity, the culture begins to shift.
The bottom line
The gender pay gap is more than a number; it’s a reflection of how we value people, power and potential. Closing it won’t happen through data alone. It requires bold leadership, collaboration and a commitment to change.
We need leaders who will challenge outdated systems, hold themselves to account and work in partnership across gender lines. Equity isn’t a women's issue, it’s a leadership imperative.
The question is no longer why gender equity matters. The real question is: How will we make it happen – together?
Debbie Bayntun-Lees is professor of organisational development and leadership for Hult International Business School
This article was published in the May/June 2025 edition of HR magazine.
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