Mette Johansson: Advancing Gender Equality requires Amplifying Women’s Voices, Not Just Asking Them to Give More

As organisations around the world mark International Women’s Day 2026, leadership expert Mette Johansson believes the global theme “Give to Gain” should prompt a deeper conversation about who is doing the giving and how organisations can create more equitable systems for advancement.

In a conversation with Collective for Equality, Johansson reflected on gender equity in the workplace, the importance of amplifying women’s voices, and why structural change within organisations remains critical to advancing women into leadership roles.

Women are already giving

Johansson’s first reaction to this year’s theme was one of surprise.

“When I first saw the slogan ‘Give to Gain’, my reaction was that women are already giving plenty all the time,” she said.

She pointed to several examples that continue to shape women’s professional experiences. Women often step back in their careers to support a partner’s advancement, take on administrative and organisational tasks in the workplace, and still earn significantly less than their male counterparts.

“Women are stepping back in their careers to give their spouses an opportunity to get promoted. Women take minutes, they do the office work nobody else wants to do,” Johansson noted.

While the intention behind the theme may be positive, she argues that the broader gender equity conversation must involve men more actively.

“In the gender equity conversation, it is men that need to give a little bit more than women,” she said, highlighting the importance of male allies in creating more balanced opportunities at work.

The power of giving women a voice

For Johansson, one of the most meaningful contributions male leaders can make is ensuring women are heard.

“The most effective factor is giving women voice,” she said, explaining that speaking up in meetings and leadership settings is often a key signal of leadership potential.

Yet many women remain hesitant to speak up, a pattern that can be traced back to social conditioning from childhood.

“As small girls, we have been told to be good, to be quiet and listen,” Johansson explained. “Meaning that women are not naturally inclined to speak as much in work situations as men are.”

Encouraging women to speak more frequently, providing platforms for their ideas, and investing in communication and leadership development can therefore have a transformative effect on career progression.

“Give women a voice, give them speaking opportunities and mentorship,” she said.

From invisible contributions to visible opportunities

Johansson also addressed a common challenge faced by many women professionals: contributing significantly to workplace culture while seeing limited recognition in terms of career progression.

Women are often praised for being collaborative and supportive team members, she noted, but those attributes do not always translate into promotions or salary increases.

“It’s a stereotype of ‘you’re such a good contribution to the team, you add nicely to the atmosphere’,” she said. “That is feedback women hear a lot more often than men, but it’s not reflected in promotion or pay.”

The solution, she argues, lies in ensuring women receive opportunities that increase visibility and influence.

“We need to give women stretch opportunities and assignments that are seen,” Johansson said, adding that women also need to step forward and accept those opportunities.

Why organisations must institutionalise inclusion

Drawing on her work with companies across Asia Pacific, Johansson emphasised that cultural change cannot rely solely on individual effort. Organisations must embed gender equity into their systems and processes.

“The culture of giving has to be institutionalised,” she said.

This could include formal mentorship programmes designed to ensure women participate, particularly since many women may hesitate to volunteer due to existing professional and household responsibilities.

“Women often don’t step forward because they already feel there is enough to do with their job and the responsibilities they manage at home,” Johansson explained.

Companies therefore need to actively identify potential female leaders and encourage them to participate in leadership development initiatives.

In addition, expectations around diversity and inclusive leadership should be built into job descriptions and performance evaluations.

“It needs to be in the appraisal process. Those are core elements that need to be part of systems and processes in organisations if we want to advance,” she said.

Challenging myths that hold women back

Johansson’s book, Narratives: The Stories That Hold Women Back at Work, examines several persistent myths that continue to shape perceptions of women in leadership.

Among them is the frequently repeated claim that women are “too emotional” for leadership roles.

Johansson argues that such stereotypes often overlook similar behaviours among men.

“One chief human resources officer told me: you should see the boys in the boardroom,” Johansson recalled. “When they don’t get their way, they slam their fists on the table or shout. That’s also emotion.”

These narratives, she believes, continue to influence decisions around leadership potential and opportunities.

“We don’t automatically see women as leaders, and we don’t automatically think they want promotions,” she said.

Mentors, sponsors and the importance of exposure

Johansson also emphasised the distinction between mentoring and sponsorship when it comes to career advancement.

Mentors provide guidance and help develop skills, while sponsors actively advocate for individuals behind closed doors when leadership roles become available.

“A sponsor is the one who will support you when senior leaders are discussing how to fill a position and mention your name,” she said.

At the same time, she encourages women to seek out opportunities that increase their professional visibility.

Johansson referenced the “PIE” framework of career advancement, which highlights the importance of performance, image and exposure.

“Performance accounts for only about 10 percent of career advancement. Image contributes about 30 percent, and exposure about 60 percent,” she explained.

This means professionals must not only deliver strong work but also ensure their contributions are visible to decision-makers.

“Do a good job, build your image, and make sure people know about the work you are doing,” Johansson said.

Encouraging women to envision bigger goals

Johansson has also observed that many women hesitate to pursue promotions because they believe leadership roles will demand longer hours or greater involvement in workplace politics.

During leadership workshops, she often asks participants a simple but revealing question: what would your career ambition be if you were a man?

“Every single time, someone in the room picks up a pen and starts writing their goals,” she said.

Such conversations, she says, help women reconsider assumptions that may be limiting their own ambitions.

Progress, but not fast enough

Looking ahead, Johansson believes the most important shift organisations can make is recognising that gender equity must be embedded into everyday leadership practices.

For example, mentorship, inclusive leadership and advocacy for diverse talent should be recognised and rewarded as part of performance evaluations.

“If somebody mentors several people, that should be rewarded as part of their appraisal,” she said.

After more than a decade of participating in International Women’s Day discussions, Johansson believes progress is being made, but not quickly enough.

“We are advancing a little bit,” she said. “But it’s not advancing fast enough.”