This International Women’s Day, Advance calls to create a gender-equitable business world. They are launching an App for this just in time for International Women’s Day. – The rules underlying career development are currently not the same for women and men. Together, this can be changed. Download the App and join in to #BreakTheBias and #ChangeTheCareerGame together on March 8.

Download media release D, E, F

The rules underlying career development in Swiss companies are still geared towards sole mostly male breadwinners. This involves written and unwritten ‘rules’ or silent assumptions and mindsets. For example, in the question: Who should be promoted? The 30-year-old woman with a university degree, or the 32-year-old family man. – How would you decide? And why? 

structural change is key

The face of Swiss economic power is still very male. Since 2018, the proportion of women in management has increased by a single percentage point, according to the Gender Intelligence Report (2021). If we continue at this pace, gender parity will be a reality in 2078 at best. This is despite the fact that there is no denying that diversity is the key to better decisions and more sustainable outcomes. The reasons for the slow progress are systemic. For real change, it is therefore necessary to adapt structures, processes and mindsets to today’s needs. For this, new rules are needed.

Women are often ‘filtered’ out of the system

The status-quo is designed around traditional gender roles. Consequently, common career models are oriented towards an ‘ideal’ employee who is male and works full-time. This explains why it is usually only they who make it to the top. Women carry an additional burden. Due to societal role expectations, they still take on the majority of family and care work – up to 77% (Branger, 2019). Structures, processes and culture thus function like a large sieve that effectively filters out female talent. This is all the more true, the higher the hierarchical levels.

Gender-equitable rules of the game required

On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March, Advance is therefore launching an action in which all interested parties can propose new gender-equitable ‘rules of the game’ via an app. These rules can concern anything that is crucial in today’s business world: from questions about who recruits and hires whom and how, to processes and decision-making bodies in talent development and promotion, to visibility, voice and transparency in matters such as wages. “We are very excited about the response and the concrete proposals that we will discuss on 8 March at our Flagship Event together with eminent Swiss leaders,” says Alkistis Petropaki, General Manager Advance.

‘Ace of Business’ app launched

Advance set out to find an inclusive way for everyone to add their voice to reshape a gender-equitable business world. The result is ‘Ace of Business’, an app that Advance is launching just in time for International Women’s Day. Via the app, new ‘rules of the game’ can be suggested, and all players can support the rules of others if they find them purposeful. At the end of the game, the four rules with the broadest support are chosen as the four ‘Aces of Business’.

Première at the Advance Flagship Event ‘Change The Career Game’ on 8 March

‘Ace of Business’ will be played for the first time at the Advance Flagship Event on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Leading representatives from business, academia and the media will present their own proposals for new rules and discuss what gender-equitable business management means to them.

HIgh-Profile speakers

The Advance Flagship Event will be moderated by Ana Maria Montero (formerly of CNN Money Switzerland) and Arthur Honegger (SRF 10vor10), taking place on 8 March from 14:00-17:00 as an interactive live broadcast and is free and open to all thanks to event sponsorship.
Go to event page

Media representatives welcome

We look forward to welcoming journalists at the event. For online participation, please register via the link above or directly here. We will broadcast from the Contentpark in Zurich Altstetten. If you are interested in interviews or background discussions with our guests or Advance representatives, please contact Alexandra Rhiner, Communications Advance: alexandra.rhiner@weadvance.ch, 076 332 85 83.
 
Of course, you as a media representative are also cordially invited to play along with ‘Ace of Business’!

This event is possible thanks to our sponsors

Advance would like to thank the main sponsor Johnson & Johnson Switzerland for their generous support and all other event sponsors from the Advance network: ABB, Accenture, AXA, Deloitte, JTI, Estée Lauder, Pictet Group, Fachstelle Gleichstellung Kanton Zürich, Siemens Healthineers, UBS, Pestalozzi Attorneys at Law, USZ Universitätsspital Zürich, Schneider Electric, ManpowerGroup, Pfizer and Vontobel.

About ADvance

Advance is the leading business association for gender equality in Switzerland, a network of 130 Swiss-based companies committed to increasing the share of women in management. It’s a proven fact that gender-mixed teams perform better, are more innovative and likely to generate more profit. With a concrete program, Advance supports companies to turn diversity into a competitive advantage. Because a gender-equal and inclusive workplace is a win-win for all: men, women, business and society.
contact@weadvance.ch | LinkedIn | Instagram  | Twitter | Facebook
 
Founding Members
ABB – CEMBRA MONEY BANK – CREDIT SUISSE – IKEA – MCKINSEY & COMPANY – PWC – SANDOZ –
SIEMENS – SWISS RE – IMPACT
View all members

Contact for media

For further information, interview requests and images please contact Alexandra Rhiner, Communications Advance, 076 332 85 83, alexandra.rhiner@weadvance.ch