Closing the Gap: How to Include Black Women in any Gender Equity Strategy

A clear and accessible framework to accelerate your organization's gender diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in relation to the career development of Black women. Why are gender equality initiatives not helping all women equally? Why does there continue to be a lack of Black women in senior management and leadership? How can the mindsets and strategies of companies whose approach is to focus on gender first, and only then to look at race, be changed to become more intersectional and inclusive? Closing the Gap serves to contextualize how companies unintentionally position Black women in situations where they cannot thrive or reach their full potential. It also shines a light on some of the subversive behaviours which further create tension in employer/employee relations, such as, the absence of a process to highlight issues without repercussions, whether overt or subtle. This exacerbates the one thing most companies are trying to prevent: Black women resigning, taking their unique skillset and experience with them. There hasn’t been an explicit guide to understanding these invisible barriers and exactly how they can be recognised, understood and overcome … until now. In Closing the Gap, gender equity leader Leanne Mair focusses on how companies can accelerate their gender diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by identifying the blind spots that can often prevent Black women from reaching their full potential in the workplace. It provides a practical and accessible framework, detailing the current landscape, highlighting the key challenges and remedies, and bringing organisations closer to their goals of an inclusive and equitable culture.

About the Author :
Leanne Mair is the founder of management consultancy firm Benefactum Consulting, which is dedicated to supporting companies achieving gender equity in their business. Prior to launching her own company, she worked in asset management for over 15 years before moving into team strategy, with a focus on increasing retention of women in the workplace.

Review :
My least favorite question from senior leaders is: what’s the one thing I should do on DEI? Now I have an answer – read this book. Closing the Gap places Black women at the center of gender equity with authority grounded in deep research, lived experience and a capacity to implement inclusive solutions. All too often workplace programs and initiatives fail to deliver agency, leaving Black women either on the fringe or even excluded. Leanne Mair shows what changes are needed and how they can be made through her power of listening to many voices and synthesizing before writing, which is all too rare in a space where many talk first. Congratulations to Leanne, who has produced a very insightful and practical guide to better understanding the challenges that Black women face. The book includes plenty of helpful suggestions on how we can 'close the gap' by creating a supportive culture for diversity, equity, inclusion and allyship within our companies. A thought-provoking and insightful narrative on the specific challenges facing Black women in the workplace. In addition to providing a window into this, Leanne helpfully delivers some potential solutions for all of us to consider. Leanne Mair really hits the mark with this straight-talking analysis of the obstacles to gender equality in the workplace, seen through the eyes of Black women. An essential read for leaders and people managers, this book’s direct but empathetic and practical advice is a great resource for anyone seeking to build a more equitable organization. Closing the Gap is an urgent read for allies committed to promoting gender equity beyond performative gestures. Leanne Mair offers perceptive and honest insights on workplace experiences of Black women recognisable across organizational settings. Timely and sharp, Closing the Gap examines both entrenched and newly emerging power dynamics highlighted by shortcomings of surface-level DEI commitments. To level the playing field for women in Western societies, Mair advocates a transformative 'trickle-up' approach – moving from perceiving Black women as intruders in an unequal system to elevating Black women as evangelists of regenerative change. In Closing the Gap, Leanne Mair highlights the intersecting and unique challenges that Black women face in the fight for gender equality. By emphasizing the importance of addressing the specific needs and experiences of Black women, Mair effectively demonstrates that achieving equality for Black women is not only crucial for their own advancement but also for the advancement of all women. This nuanced perspective encourages readers to recognize and actively participate in the dismantling of systems of oppression that disproportionately affect marginalized groups, ultimately paving the way for a more just and inclusive society for everyone.