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There are many reasons why women and men aren’t equally represented at the top.  One is that women aren’t adequately sponsored or mentored. Harvard Business Review recently cited data from the Working Mother Research Institute that supports this notion.

While 48 percent of men say they were given detailed information on career paths in the last 24 months, only 15 percent of women say they’ve received the same. 

 Fifty-four percent of men report having had career discussions with mentors or sponsors in the past 24 months, while only 39 percent of women report having had such discussions.  

The gap may have been unintentionally widened by the MeToo movement.  Survey’s by Lean In and Bloomberg Media found that some men began avoiding work relationships with women in the wake of high profile sexual harassment cases.  

For several tips on how men can effectively sponsor women, check out these two podcasts.

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