5 myths about Gender Analytics
Authors: Sarah Kaplan, Lechin Lu
Gender Analytics is a process to embed insights about gender and its intersections with race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, Indigeneity and other factors to create inclusive product, service and policy design. Despite having a potentially significant impact on society, the idea of inclusive analytics is often misunderstood, though it’s recently risen to prominence as companies prioritize equity and diversity not just in their talent management but also in how they go to market. And there’s a significant upside to the shift: Applying a gender and inclusion lens to product and service development could result in new opportunities for businesses.
“Companies across industries are embracing inclusive approaches to analytics to distinguish themselves from competitors, reach underserved customers and markets, and catch up with shifting cultural and social norms — especially among younger consumers who have different notions of gender roles,” says Lechin Lu, associate director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy (GATE) at the Rotman School of Management. We spoke to Lu and Professor Sarah Kaplan, director of GATE, who busted five myths about Gender Analytics