This report released by KPMG aims at analysing what firms, investors and individuals are doing to help improve gender diversity within the alternative investments sector. The analysis is based on a survey of 886 alternative investment professionals globally as well as on interviews with industry leaders both man and women. The report is structured according to four main actions and finds out that:
- Bridging the gap: exposing gaps in perception to facilitate joint action: although both man and women agree on the importance of diversity, they differ a lot on the perception on whether enough is being done to improve gender diversity at firm level. On this regard, men respondents are more likely than women ones to state that their firm is doing enough to advance gender diversity.
- Investors driving change: showcasing investors practices that advance diversity: in the years to come, a greater percentage of investors will push for gender diversity. KPMG survey demonstrates that higher number of investors respondents will require firms in their portfolios to improve their diversity efforts over the next years. The report highlights that last year only 11% of respondents required firms in their portfolio to act in this direction, while next year 42% of investors will require firms to increase efforts.
- Firms taking actions: spotlighting firms that are taking meaningful steps to improve diversity: according to the report, what distinguishes firms that are “doing enough” from firms that “are not doing enough” is whether the firm takes action beyond the traditional areas such as parental leave or flexible work hours. Firms doing well on gender diversity stimulate a culture of inclusion and support women beyond the maternity leave. On the one hand they look for ways to help women advance in their careers and on the other they try to get more women in the door.
- Individuals taking responsibility: making public respondents’ commitment to advance gender diversity: over the next years survey respondents state that they will advocate for women promotion (56%), sponsor a woman in the industry (50%), ensure women on their team get paid commensurate to their male peers for equal work (56%).
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We invite those of you interested in women in angel investing to have a look at the insights of the January session of the INSMEAcademy available at this page.
Source: KPMG