What if I told you the gender pay gap isn’t about salary—but about time, mobility, and missed opportunities?

McKinsey’s latest report lays it bare:

The real driver of the gap is a work experience gap, explaining nearly 80% of the total difference between men and women.

This isn’t about earning less per hour. It’s about women spending less time in paid work, being underrepresented in high-growth roles, and facing downward mobility when they pivot careers.

Let’s unpack that:

📉 Over a 10-year span, women spend 14% less time in paid work—due to longer breaks and more part-time roles (often driven by caregiving).

📉 Women are more likely to switch into lower-paying roles over time, while men move up.

📉 Men cluster in future-facing industries (tech, data, STEM), while women are overrepresented in declining fields like admin.

These are systemic barriers, not personal choices.

Having worked with boards, CPOs, and CEOs globally, I’ve led transformation programs that helped close the gender pay gap to single figures—earning recognition like AFR Best Places to Work and the WGEA Employer of Choice citation.

Here’s what works:

✅ 1. Redesign flexibility—without limiting ambition

Flexible work matters. But career velocity matters more.

🔹 Audit promotion & pay for flexible workers
🔹 Build re-entry programs that restore—not reset
🔹 Design roles where ambition & flexibility can coexist
💥 Related: “Supporting carers & parents” – GEI #4


✅ 2. Accelerate women into leadership—early & intentionally

Most gaps emerge between 29–39.

🔹 Set bold targets at every level
🔹 Assess potential at 1–3–5 year horizons
🔹 Back it with tailored development + sponsorship
💥 Covered in my 4-step strategy & Leadership Health Check


✅ 3. Rethink growth & mobility from the inside

Women aren’t leaving—they’re sliding sideways or down.

🔹 Track internal mobility by gender
🔹 Rotate women into high-growth areas (e.g. AI, strategy)
🔹 Align succession planning with equitable opportunity
💥 Linked to my guide’s focus on retention & mid-career talent

If you’re serious about closing the gap, don’t just start with pay.

Start with time, experience, and progression.

And, start with the leadership passion and energy you naturally bring to everything you do...and build workplaces where potential—not personal circumstance—defines progress.

📘 I’ve distilled these insights into a practical guide: Closing the Gender Pay Gap – A Strategic Guide for C-Suite & Board Leaders. If you would like a copy, just let me know.