Description

In this special episode of Work It Like a Mum, we’re sharing the opening panel from our Give to Gain Summit, hosted in support of International Women’s Day.

This powerful session dives into the findings from our Women at Work Survey, alongside expert insights from Oxera and Working Families leaders across research, economics and people strategy.

Together, we explore the gap between what workplaces say they offer… and what women actually experience. 

What We Cover:

• What the latest data is really telling us about women at work
• Why flexibility still exists in theory, not always in practice
• The real barriers to career progression for women
• How workload, stress and lack of progression are impacting women
• The role of culture, leadership and line managers in shaping experience
• Why informal networks still influence who gets ahead
• The reality of balancing work, family life and ambition
• The growing gap between workplace policy and lived experience

Key Takeaways:

• Women aren’t lacking ambition; they’re navigating systems that don’t fully support them
• Flexibility is no longer a “perk”, it’s essential
• Hybrid working improves outcomes, but needs structure to work well
• Career progression is still impacted by visibility, networks and outdated assumptions
• Many women feel valued… but not developed
• Workload and culture remain key drivers of stress
• Organisations risk losing talent by not designing work around real lives
• Real change comes from leadership behaviour, not just policy

Why Listen:

If you’ve ever felt like work should work better than it does, that flexibility exists but often comes with trade-offs, or that you’re doing a full-time job in part-time hours, this conversation will resonate. It’s honest, data-backed and focused on what actually needs to change to make work work for women.

Show Links:

Connect with  Elizabeth Willetts on LinkedIn here

Visit Oxera’s website here 

Visit the Working Families website here 

Explore and download the full Women At Work Survey here

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