Women have come such a long way since the first appearance of the suffrage movement in 1848. 47.7% of the current workforce is female, meaning that the gender gap is closing at an incredible rate. There are still many improvements to be made, however. Thankfully, there are many steps employers can take to ensure that a workplace is a place where their female employees can feel safe and welcome.

Sensitivity Training

This is a must for any place that seeks to be a thoughtful employer of women. There are many things that people do that they do not even realize can be read as sexist or having a tone of harassment, so bringing it to their awareness can stop a lot of problems before they happen. The first step to eliminating a problem is to prevent it altogether.

Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave

Maternity leave is an incredibly important part of making sure your workplace is friendly to women, but how does paternity leave factor in? When a father can stay home and help out with childcare, it decreases the pressure and stress that is put on the mother in the first few months of a newborn’s life. Allowing fathers to stay home with their family during this time helps bring a woman equality not just in the workplace but the home as well.

Free Sanitary Products

Women in business environments still have the same biological functions that they normally do. That is to say that most of them will still menstruate regularly. For the women this applies to, it is an unavoidable part of existence. Stocking workplace bathrooms with free sanitary products can help make sure that your employees never have to stress about things like bleeding through their pants while they are working.

Suggestion Boxes

One way that you can make sure that your female employees’ needs are being met is by installing an anonymous suggestion box. It can become easy to not speak up in certain settings, or when you know your name will be attached to a comment. If women can put in anonymous tips about policies or co-workers they feel are sexist, they may feel more inclined to speak up when they notice something that can be improved.

There is so much to be celebrated about the progress that has been made already in the business world in regards to gender equality. This does not mean, however, that there are not still improvements to be made. Implement these tips to make sure that your female employees do not face undue stress while working with your company.