Companies spend billions annually on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). However, experts predict that gender parity will lag for another 151 years. Worse, a recent report showed that, for the first time in years, the number of women in leadership is declining. It’s time to recognize society has overlooked a key piece of the gender parity puzzle.

Women trail men in leadership roles, workplace tenure, and compensation. Understandably, the conversation often assumes an us-versus-them paradigm in which women are pitted against men.

Even our terminology emphasizes this construct. Terms like the “glass ceiling” and, more recently, the “broken rung” in the corporate leadership ladder point the finger at society’s gender biases for limiting women’s professional advancement. While damaging biases still exist, we notably neglect to acknowledge another factor in women’s workplace experiences: unhealthy dynamics between women.

Read more at: https://fortune.com/2024/07/12/women-broken-rung-workplace-bullying-discrimination-careers-leadership/