Millennial men felt least included of anyone in their workplace, said Miranda Burdon, chief executive of Global Women, in a speech outlining new research on inclusivity in the workplace.

OPINION: Jacinda Ardern has referred to her role as prime minister as "an extraordinary opportunity," with her ability to be both a mother and a leader made possible by the support of her partner, Clarke Gayford, and their whanau.

Many people in New Zealand will be proud that we are once again leading the world in terms of social progress and women's leadership. But the reality is, we are not there yet.

In New Zealand, just 324 men took parental leave last year versus more than 30,000 women. In fact, it is thought that only about 4 per cent of Kiwi dads take up the two weeks of paid parental leave for fathers, let alone take on full childcare duties.

In 2018, 125 years since suffrage we continue to work for greater equality in the workplace.

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Diversity is a fact, but creating an inclusive environment is a choice we all need to make that requires leadership and commitment. The Global Women research launched this week highlighted emphatically that to achieve diversity of thought we need to create inclusive work environments where men and women can participate in their own way.

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Inclusivity is about valuing the individuals, and recognising that people's lives extend beyond the 8am to 5pm to include children, parents, sports and community obligations.

A red flag for businesses from this research was the disengagement of millennial men who are feeling less included at work than Gen X and Baby Boomers. Millennial women are not far behind.

Millennial men highlighted they are more likely to want to work for employers who embrace inclusive cultures.

Today's young fathers increasingly recognise the vital role they play in their sons and daughters' lives, and as vital support to their partner. Compared to previous generations, they are more likely to see equality through a practical lens of sharing responsibility at home as well as through work.

So what needs to change if we are to enable more women to remain in the workforce and prosper in senior leadership roles in NZ, and for more men to take up leadership roles in the home?

STUFF Dads doing more when it comes to childcare would benefit working women, Miranda Burdon from Global Women says,

Overseas, Quebec offers five weeks paid paternity leave that is lost if it's not used, which has resulted in a significant uptake in fathers taking paternity leave. In Sweden 90 of the 480 days entitlement can only be reserved for the father.

There is scope for NZ business to recognise the value of being inclusive, and take the lead rather than waiting for legislative changes around things like paternity leave.

Game changers are both attitudinal and systemic, and include recognising that people want to play a role for their families and be openly supportive of men and women who work and parent.

We need to adopt flexible working policies and encourage adoption by all genders. Address the gender pay gap: take a hard look at salaries, skills and experience to ensure everyone is paid fairly and equitably.

STUFF Spark boss Simon Moutter says he had to confront some uncomfortable truths about how inclusive his organisation really was.

New ways of working, like the agile methodology being introduced in organisations like Spark and Genesis, are starting to embed wholly different approaches to how they operate.

In doing so, they break down some of the traditional hierarchical inhibitors to an inclusive workplace. We believe that overcoming attitudinal barriers at work will benefit all of society.

With a small population, our diversity and rich talent pool can be a huge strength for New Zealand.

It is only when we are inclusive though, that all employees will have the confidence and inspiration to drive innovation and productivity turning this strength into our collective advantage.

It is then we will create extraordinary opportunities for many more New Zealanders.