One of the challenges women face involves insurance being a traditionally “male-dominated” industry. The good news is more and more women are coming into the industry! In the past, I’ve personally dealt with men who had a biased towards working with women. The fact that the industry still feels male-dominated may create a barrier for a woman to want to join the insurance field. The roles that are more dominated by women tend to be support and back office roles, and less in sales & leadership positions. There is also a disparity around what some women are paid in comparison to their male counterparts in similar roles/responsibilities.

Women have been overcoming these challenges for years and will continue to do so by working harder, making sacrifices and by taking on the challenges of a male dominant workforce by putting themselves out there and proving their worth.

To attract, develop, retain, and promote talented women, organizations should be taking a broad view. I think it’s important to ensure women have the experience & resources like mentoring, coaching, and ongoing workshops or programs. Women also need to be intentional about their careers and their development as leaders. The power of choice is often forgotten. Encourage women in your organization to take ownership over their career choices, and create a personal development strategy. It’s also incredibly important to have an established culture promoting time-off and the importance of family. I think too many women feel to be successful, they have to choose between work or home.