I was recently challenged by a finding from the 2014 Global Gender Gap Report: it will take until 2095 – or 80 more years – to achieve gender parity in the workplace. 80 more years until the world’s available talent is fully optimised. We wouldn’t wait 80 years to implement any other business initiative, so why are we waiting for this one?

As a participant in the 2015 Ernst & Young Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program, I have access to a wealth of information and research. Particularly learning and understanding more about the opportunities across all industries for women entrepreneurs, and also where the gaps currently lie.

EY has shared with us the 9^th Global Gender Gap Index – an initiative introduced by the World Economic Forum as a framework for articulating and understanding the magnitude of gender-based differences and tracking this progress over time.

As the report notes, one thing that is very compelling in current studies in this field is that companies that include more women at the top levels of leadership tend to outperform those that don’t. We are seeing examples of this awareness in organisations such as The Ventura Co-Working Space – a self-labelled tech hub, Australia’s first space for female-led tech start-ups.

We are in a time of change it seems – there is far more attention paid to this issue than when I was 22. My father had suggested that I should learn how to touch type in case my marketing career didn’t take off…at the time I thought maybe he is right! So I dutifully went off in my Uni break and did a course. It did not concern me that this was a very traditional female “job” or that my father’s comments could be ‘stereotyping’ – I guess I just don’t see the world in those terms. I see the world as an opportunity to make the best of what you have. Seize the day and play to your strengths.

So what of this gap? In 2012, Federal Parliament passed legislation, requiring businesses with more than 100 employees to report on their performance against gender equality measures. Organisations with more than 500 employees are now required to put in place strategies to support and improve gender equality and advance equal remuneration and flexible work arrangements. It is clear we still have a long way to go despite this, given Australia was ranked 24^th overall in global results – no country in the world has fully closed the gender gap, but all five Nordic countries have closed more than 80% of it.

So what can we learn from them? The success of the Nordic countries in closing the gender gap, is attributed largely to high education levels and high levels of tertiary enrolment – offering more pathways to success for both genders. In Norway, Sweden and Iceland, there are over 1.5 women for every man enrolled in university. What we can see from this is that culture plays a HUGE role in these disparities…but we need to look at their economies; their mandatory paternal leave in combination with maternity leave (through social insurance funds and employers); tax incentives and post-maternity re-entry programmes. All these things are cultural and must be examined for what they are. Every countries’ government is lobbied by different movements, are affected by different levels of economic concern – each government needs to prioritise spending and allocation of it. Unfortunately, Australians have not been given such luxurious opportunities when it comes to parental leave…hence why there is often more men in the workplace that have higher level jobs. Put simply, our reality is driven by our government’s priorities most of the time. What we choose to make of it is an entirely different issue, and one that I wish to dwell on.

If it is meant to be, it is up to me. Not up to my government, my family, my mentor or my employer. YOU are the change and you are the voice. There are opportunities for a balanced voice, and we must see these for what they are. I am very passionate about balanced voice – not one or the other. It is the continual reminder of the gap that allows us to fall into a false sense of security in our ability to blame it on someone else. To actively empower ourselves by using our skills, talents and voices we can be a role model and ‘inspiration’ to others. Janine Allis says “If I can do it anyone can do it.”

We give these labels and use terminology such as “gender gaps” and “disparities”, but do we profit from them? Are they constructive?

I would suggest that whilst an understanding and rigorous analysis of gender gaps is a critical component of our own self-awareness; it should not rule our judgement and perception of opportunity. At the end of the day, we only have only 24 hours to play with. How we choose to use these hours is up to us – spending it over-analysing does not allow us to be passionate about what we love; or act with purpose and persistence on those projects or challenges we are so motivated to succeed in.

EY has recently launched Women. Fast Forward – focusing on accelerating growth by harnessing the potential of female entrepreneurs worldwide. Challenging women to think bigger, gain access to capital, learn from their peers and find advisors – all these elements are about seizing opportunity, and playing to your strengths. I am so behind this initiative and look forward to further reporting on its success.

Be that voice. Be that balanced voice.