With the pandemic having a disproportionate impact on women, reports show continuing gaps in funding for women-led startups, lack of leadership opportunities for women and few seats on corporate and startup boards.

Data shows discrepancies across all sectors. For example, in finance, even while we celebrate highly accomplished women who have broken glass ceilings, data shows how far we still need to go — a recent study found that women represent only 18.1% of US financial advisors.

To close gender gaps, one of the tools that men and women can bring to the table is active allyship. From mentoring to speaking up when you see something wrong to sharing information with those who have been historically left out of the loop, our active participation can help women have a fair shot to make a real impact across our society.

There are many ways to take real, active allyship action that apply whether you work in finance or another field. As Jean Case reminds us, we can and must be allies in working to close these gaps.