Historical background: from exclusion to co-determination
Women's path to full economic participation has been long and bumpy. In many parts of the world, this journey is still ongoing. There is no shortage of systemic impediments and different speeds on it. International Women's Day itself was established in 1910 after a wave of labor protests in the US and Europe. In Poland, women gained their first voting rights as early as 1918, but their financial independence was much slower to take shape.
How has the role of women evolved over the years?
At the beginning of the 20th century, the dominance of the housewife model and legal restrictions on the disposal of one's own property in many European countries are clearly visible. However, this was a period of numerous social changes, and women fought for their rights. In the 1970s there was a breakthrough - most Western cultures lifted restrictions on access to higher education and financial markets.
Interesting fact: in the US, it wasn't until 1974 that discrimination against women in accessing credit cards was outlawed. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), passed by Congress, made it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender or marital status in granting credit.
Now in the 21st century, a component of many companies' strategies is the area of DEI: diversity, equity, and inclusion, in which diversity becomes a measure of business resilience.
How many years away from equality? An economic perspective
Despite the progress, the statistics are unforgiving. According to report World Economic Forum (WEF) „Global Gender Gap Report 2025”.”, at the current rate of change the world needs as much as 123 years, to completely close the gender gap in all areas. This result is 11 years better than the 2024 projections, but the target date is still far beyond the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. No country has yet achieved full gender equality.
In the context of the economic gap itself (Economic Participation and Opportunity), the situation looks even more serious. In this area, it has been estimated that full economic equality will not be achieved until 135 years from now.
Differences in labor market participation and wages are the most resistant to change. In Poland, many women remain outside the labor market due to unpaid care work. Phenomena such as the „glass ceiling” (barriers to promotion) also remain a fact. Women make up only 28.8% of those in senior positions. A „sticky floor” (the retention of women at the lowest pay grades) is also not uncommon.
Global Gender Gap Report 2025 stresses that closing the wage gap could increase global GDP by billions of dollars, making gender equality a macroeconomic priority.
Women in Agenda 2030 - SDG 5 and beyond
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global compass for ESG activities. The role of women is directly addressed in the SDG 5: Gender equality, which assumes, among other things:
- Elimination of discrimination and violencey (Tasks 5.1 and 5.2): This is a commitment to implement zero-tolerance policies against harassment and discrimination in recruitment and payroll processes.
- Valuation of unpaid work (Task 5.4): This objective calls for the recognition of child and elderly care as an important economic input. In business practice, this means supporting flexible work arrangements and parental leave for both sexes, allowing women to maintain career continuity.
- Empowering leadership (Task 5.5): This item directly corresponds to EU directives. It implies ensuring women's full and effective participation in decision-making at all levels of decision-making in economic and public life.
It is worth noting that women's empowerment is a prerequisite for achieving other goals, such as SDG 1 - End Poverty or SDG 8 - Economic Growth and Decent Work.
ESRS S1 and S2 standards - From declarations to hard data
The European Reporting Standards (ESRS) translate equality into specific reporting requirements for companies operating in the EU.
- ESRS S1-9 - Diversity Metrics: Requires disclosure of gender structure in management bodies.
- ESRS S1-16 - Wage measures (wage gap and total compensation): Imposes an obligation to show the difference in pay between men and women in the same positions.
- ESRS S2 - Workers in the Value Chain: The standard goes a step further, requiring companies to monitor the working conditions of women at their suppliers, particularly in regions vulnerable to forced labor or discrimination.
ESG industry has a woman's face
An interesting phenomenon in today's labor market is the strong feminization of the sustainability sector. These statistics are also met by MATERIALITY. According to report „ESG Managers_ Women 2025”.”, ESG-related jobs in Poland are mostly held by women, who account for as many as 77% all professionals and managers in this area. This trend is also evident globally - the Greenbiz service's 2024 data shows that women occupy about 63% sustainability director positions (Chief Sustainability Officers). This is a duplication of values relative to 2010.
Profiles of women leaders in sustainable development
The history of ESG is created by specific individuals. It is worthwhile to introduce the characters who set the standards.
Gro Harlem Brundtland: the godmother of sustainable development
It's impossible to talk about modern ESG reporting without bringing up the figures Gro Harlem Brundtland. She created the concept of sustainable development. As chairwoman of the World Commission on Environment and Development, in 1987 she published the landmark a report titled. „Our Common Future”.” (referred to as the Brundtland Report). We can read in it that sustainable development is one that „meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” Brundtland's work shifted the weight of the discussion from pure conservation to an integrated approach involving economic order, social justice and environmental protection.
Kate Raworth - Creator of the „Economy of the Bagel.”
An English economist from Oxford who has challenged traditional models of GDP growth. Her concept Doughnut Economics has become the framework for many sustainable cities (including Amsterdam) and companies. Kate Raworth points out that the goal of the economy should be to meet the needs of all people (inner circle of the rim) while not crossing planetary boundaries (outer circle).
Christiana Figueres: A key architect of the Paris Agreement
A diplomat from Costa Rica who, as Executive Secretary of the UN FCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), led a historic success in 2015. Her approach, known as „incorrigible optimism” (outrage optimism)., has proven that diplomacy based on bridge-building and empathy is more effective in solving global crises than traditional, forceful negotiations. She is co-author of the book „The Future We Choose,” which lays the groundwork for addressing the climate crisis.
Gender equality as the foundation of resilient business
The path of women in the economic world - from the pioneering work of Gro Harlem Brundtland to today's ESRS regulations and SDG 5 goals - shows that gender equality and inclusivity is an indispensable part of sustainable development. Although the World Economic Forum predicts that it may take several more generations to fully close the wage gap, it is by reliably reporting the wage gap, nurturing diversity on boards and drawing on the expertise of outstanding female leaders that this process can be accelerated. For modern organizations, implementing standards is no longer just a legal requirement, but an investment in competitive advantage and stability in uncertain times.
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