Beyond political will, it takes moral and conscious will to make gender equality a tangible change in every company. Thanks to the important work of the Rosenzweig Report, all those who care about gender equality will keep at it until real change is felt.

Women are the backbone of a progressive society, and yet it is so hard to be a woman, especially a woman of color. While it is difficult, we see women stepping up everywhere.

Congratulations to Jay and the Rosenzweig Report for putting facts and figures to how far we need to go to achieve a degree of equity for women in the workplace. Companies and societies function better with women in leadership. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The Rosenzweig Report enables progress.

Gender equality is not just about empowering women, it is about empowering society. Equity is the source of economic and social advancement for all. And the only way to progress forward is when we methodically track and trace our steps. The Rosenzweig Report does exactly that. Jay Rosenzweig’s work has enabled us to hold companies accountable and to develop the strategies to move forward.

In business, financial managers control access to every senior management position. In music, only 2% of producers – the people who control which artists make the charts – are women. This means in both cases, talented women are inherently disadvantaged and as a society we may be losing half of our potential creativity, problem solving abilities and breakthrough technologies.

We can no longer claim to be unaware of the business case for diversity. The latest Rosenzweig Report reminds us that a failure to tackle the structural barriers and persisting negative (and often unconscious) perceptions associated with diverse leadership will continue to keep women and minorities out of senior roles.

Despite the progress that has been made in the movement for gender equality and inclusivity, there is a significant lack of Women in executive roles, and or with profit and loss responsibilities directly impacting how business are run. When in the position, women have proven we are capable of succeeding with this task. Dispelling a perceived lack of ability, rather highlighting a lack of opportunity that is cause for address.

It’s time for companies to realize that a corporate ladder designed entirely to suit men with stay-at-home-wives is not a ladder, it’s a strainer that will lose you a lot of great talent.

Societies thrive better, and enjoy peace and prosperity when women step up in leadership. Women are great leaders across all the fields. They get the work done. Any society that suppresses women will not ultimately progress.

In contrast to the popular belief that the number of women in CEO roles is rising, it is instead a fact that the number of women CEOs at Fortune 500 and FP 100 companies fell over the last year. Last year’s performance tells us one thing: Women leaders remain underrepresented and this won’t be easily rectified even though we’d all be better off with more inclusion.

As a society, we’ve elevated the conversation concerning gender equality, but collectively we clearly have a long way left to go. Legacy gender-based biases are still far too prevalent across many of our institutions and much of our daily interaction. The Rosenzweig Report has earned a reputation as a voice for change and a truly objective source in this important topic. Its reporting truly shows us where we need to work harder and smarter to identify and eradicate gender inequality and to function as a healthier society as a result.

The responsibility lies on the shoulders of current leaders in industry to promote progressive thought in teams. The inclusion of diverse talent leads to successful organizations.

Historically, women worldwide have been underpaid, undervalued, underrepresented, underfunded and underestimated. We (ALL women and men) should all be dedicated, determined and driven to change this.

In the nonprofit world, the greatest success should be to go out of business – to so fully have achieved your mission, that your organization is no longer relevant. It is my great hope that the insights that the Rosenzweig Report provokes is a bellwether of a future world in which the conversation around leadership is no longer about gender integration but about leadership, full stop, making this report superfluous. Until then, we must leverage this critical data to move the dial for all women, at all levels, globally.

Inequality can be created as a result of the best intentions. Women are often treated unequally in the workplace because doing so is ingrained in the fabric of our societal dynamics. Navigating this particular challenge is rooted in unshakeable self-belief. It is our job to educate younger females that their dreams are achievable and show a path forward by example.

For more than a decade, the Rosenzweig Report has done the critical work of defining where we as a society can and must do better to achieve gender equity in our boardrooms, our legislatures, our halls of power across industry. Advancing women’s leadership is not merely just, but – as a growing body of research makes plain –, economically and politically imperative, to maintain organizations’ competitiveness. I am grateful and excited for this year’s report, which once again shows us how.