When Kayla Harrington, then student now Legal Research Assistant at Thomson Reuters, wrote a blog about inherent gender bias in society, she was clearly hoping to raise the profile of the issue. But she didn’t anticipate that her blog would gain the attention of her father Jeff Harrington, whose eyes were opened to the issues she raised, or that it would eventually lead to a discussion on the ISG Women in Digital podcast.
At college, Kayla took a very academic approach to the issue of sexism and developed the belief that the world was changing and gender equality was improving. Upon graduating and entering the world of work, she realized there was still a long way to go to overcome what she terms “ambivalent sexism.” This is the subtle and generally accepted sexism that permeates both the language we use to talk about women and the way we interact with women across all walks of life.
Join host Jeanne Cuff as she talks to the father-daughter duo about gender inclusivity and how companies today must go further than just ensuring equal representation of women in the workplace. They discuss how the global pandemic of 2020 has highlighted the struggle for many women managing both family and work.
Statistics indicate that one million people have left the workforce this year and that 80 percent of them were women who felt unable to juggle both work and family commitments under the unprecedented circumstances. According to Jeff, this creates a great opportunity for change. Because the pandemic has brought work and family life closer to each other for both men and women, many men can appreciate in a new way the challenges working women have faced for generations. He believes this appreciation will bring understanding, greater inclusivity – and hopefully less inherent gender bias in the workplace.
Listen in to hear the discussion.
Meet the host
Lois Coatney
Lois Coatney is Partner, Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI), leading the firm’s work across those industries, with additional responsibility for global sales operations. Prior to assuming this role, she was Partner and President, EMEA Sales and Consulting, relocating from the U.S. to the U.K. to drive growth and further expand the firm’s opportunities in the region.
Lois joined ISG in 2012 and built the Service Integration and Management (SIAM) service line. She subsequently led the ISG GovernX® business for four years and successfully launched and expanded the third-party risk management platform. She also led ISG Americas sales and sales management and co-architected the ISG Women in Digital program.
Throughout her career, Lois has advised clients on the operating models and organizational designs that will enable them to work most effectively. Prior to joining ISG, Lois managed large global service delivery and governance transformational change in multiple positions at Hewlett Packard. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Minnesota State University.
