COVID-19 has changed the way we do business and prompted our industry to innovate, adapt and evolve. From responding to new rules and regulations to setting up our colleagues to work remotely, insurance has done well to ensure we continue to do business as usual. This accomplishment, however, cannot and should not hinder the progress our industry has made in building a more diverse and inclusive work environment.

Prior to COVID-19, diversity & inclusion (D&I) programs were at the top of the agenda for many companies. We were making slow but steady improvements. But the pandemic upended the landscape, in many ways counteracting the advances of the previous decade and threatening to have negative long-term impacts on women's progress in business. The issues in some cases can be acute, with women often having to become the principal caregiver, teacher, and earner in their home. Urgent action is needed. 2021 can be a watershed moment for the re/insurance industry to prove its mettle and put our analytical and problem-solving skills to good use.