However, we often forget to mention how the pandemic has obliterated decades of progress toward gender equity, thus draining $3.1 trillion from our economy.

We are still crawling back from this 12-figure blow. So before we rush into another year, lets reflect on five major gender equity events from 2022 and see how each of them cut straight through the economy.

Womens labor force participation has been stunted

Womens labor force participation dropped to 57.8% in November, and there are still 1.8 million women missing from the labor force since the start of the pandemic.    

If we brought those 1.8 million women back into the labor force, we could close the worker-to-open-job gap by nearly 23% and temper inflation. If we went even further and sealed off the gender gap in the U.S. labor force completely, our economy would be $1.789 trillion stronger. (Labor force equity is one key factor to unlocking gender equitys $3.1 trillion potential. We also need equity in other facets of the economy, such as pay equity and educational equity.)

The jobs of the future are leaving women behind

Gender inequity in STEM continues to rage on. Only 1.66% of women university graduates study Information and Communication Technologies compared to 8.22% of men.

We must continue to bridge the gender gap in the jobs of the future, otherwise, women, businesses, and our economy will be left behind. A Pipeline study across 4,161 companies in 29 countries found that for every 10% increase in gender equity, revenues increase by 1 to 2%.

Besides, infusing gender equity in advanced technologies would shield us from the life-altering harms of biased A.I. As it stands, women hold fewer than 33% of all data and A.I. roles and fewer than 15% of all cloud computing jobs. We need a more representative sample of the population to ideate, engineer, and operate the machine learning systems that decide who gets a job interview, who gets a car loan, and who gets a prison sentence.

Pay equity worsens

The gender pay gap widened on average by five cents due to the pandemic. That backsliding comes at a time of record-high inflation, which saw prices rising twice as fast for womens goods and services as mens.

These two seismic forces accentuated the sting of the pink tax: not only do women have even less money coming into their wallets this year, but they also have even more money going out.

Prior to the pandemic, gender pay equity represented a $512 billion opportunity for the U.S. economy. At the time, closing the gender pay equity gap would have lifted 50% more working women out of poverty, which would have been a boon for the 70% of the U.S. economy derived from consumer spending and the taxpayers who foot the bill for social welfare recipients.

More men are spending time as fathers

The percentage of first-time fathers who took paid parental leave rose from 10.8% in 1980 to 38.3% in 2020a 255% increase.

Creating stigma-free pathways for fathers to engage more with their households improves outcomes for everyone. A gender-neutral allocation of household labor would increase output per hour by 5.4%, freeing families up to spend more time together.

Women were underrepresented at climate change talks

Women make up 38% of all national delegates in discussions of perhaps the most pressing global issue: climate change. Thats up from 30% in 2009.

At the Conference of the Party gatherings (COP), women make up only 13% of delegation leaders, up from 10% in 2009.

Gender inequity in this realm harms the planet as much as it harms the people living in it. Women are more likely than men to sign international treaties on climate resolutions, meaning more women in power seats would help mitigate the 18% global GDP write-off thats expected if climate apathy continues.  

The road ahead

To expedite our journey toward gender equity, we need a three-pronged approach.      

Businesses must erase structural inequity by using advanced technology to de-bias the employee lifecycle. Elected officials should efficiently and effectively allocate resources by applying the gender lens to policy solutions. And the media have a duty to inspire a new vision of what it means to be a man or be a woman by rewriting stale gender narratives.

Its not enough to admire or even agonize over the problem of inequity. We are sitting on a $3.1 trillion economic opportunity in the US alone. Its time to move the needle on gender equity.

Katica Roy is the CEO of Pipeline.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

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Knowing that there are a whole 12 months of challenges ahead can be a draining prospect that makes people want to crawl back under their blanket and hibernate.

Plus, finding your get-up-and-go can be even harder for those in the Northern Hemisphere where the days are cold and dark.

This is known as January Blues and unfortunately, even the toughest of leaders arent immune to it.

Here are some tried and tested techniques that CEOs told Fortune theyre using to banish January Blues and boost morale. 

Practice gratitude

One of the words that came up most was gratitude.

For some CEOs this looks like a literal list of things to be grateful for and for others its more of an outlook on the last year and the year to come.

By writing three things to be grateful for every morning, Georgia Gadsby co-founder and CEO of Unearth PR has been able to see the joy in running a business again and what a privilege it is to hold the position I do. When the January blues kicks in, she looks back at past entries for an instant hit of positivity. 

Jessica Alderson, CEO and co-founder of the dating app, So Syncd, similarly spreads joy throughout her team by reminding them what the business key metrics were a year ago and how far its come.

It can be easy to get caught up in the everyday details and taking a step back to recognize the milestones weve hit can help to energize everyone, she says.

Gene Fay, CEO at security services firm, ThreatX echoes that having goals to look back on is a great way to check-in, reflect and feel more positive.

So much so, that he writes them down on a sticky note which he keeps tucked away in his wallet.

Any time that I feel myself experiencing low energy, I revisit my goals to reignite my mind and remind myself of all the things I want to accomplish in the year ahead, he adds.

Get excited for the year ahead

Nothing boosts morale more than having things to look forward to.

Many of the CEOs Fortune spoke to use January as a time to set ambitions for the year ahead, book their vacations and meet up with their team in person to pre-emptively celebrate smashing 2023.

Lucas London, CEO of the UKs fastest-growing decorating company, Lick sets company-wide targets to fire up his workforce for the year ahead.

In the first week of January, our C suite signs off on the company objectives and key results. In the second week, key department heads present their plan for the year ahead to the entire business.

Although the main purpose of this is to inspire his team and encourage accountability, he finds having that structure personally motivating. 

Tap into the Swedish art of LOGOM

Just as it took some time to switch off and enjoy your festive break, its going to take some time to gear back up into work mode.

CEOs are not immune to this transition. If you want to avoid feeling blue, or worse, burned out, embrace the Swedish concept of Logom which translates to not too much, not too little.

Ally Fekaiki, CEO of employee benefits platform, Juno asserts that even the busiest of CEOs must prioritize work-life balance.

Trying to curb the number of late nights spent at the laptop is crucial if leaders are to stay healthy and balanced throughout the year. Theres no point over-doing it in January, she says while adding that its a marathon, not a sprint.

Others CEOs told Fortune that they get balance in their day by going for a walk first thing in the morning, setting a strict sleep time and scheduling in pockets of stillness in their diary.

But if carving out some me-time sounds more stressful than relaxing, James Kirkham, CEO of the advertising agency, Iconic, says that this time can be aligned with your tasks and to-do lists.

For example, considering a creative challenge while jogging can combine recovery with sub-conscious problem-solving. The creativity you can unleash and ability to solve will actually be enhanced and galvanized by finding these little passages of tranquil time. More importantly, theyre the magical transitions essential not just to find your best performances but to beat the blues, as well, he adds.

Fake it until you make it

Its dark outside, there is a global recession on the horizon and we are all feeling far less holly jolly now that Christmas is over, but as CEO, your mood has a ripple effect on your entire organization.

Asher Moses, CEO of the taxi company, Sherbet, is acutely aware of this and makes a conscious effort to be positive, even if it isnt coming naturally due to wider circumstances.

His advice? Dont fret too much about things that are out of your control, like the wider state of the economy, which will invariably get you down.

Well achieve better results if we try to block out some of the noise and focus solely on our businesses, he adds. 

But ultimately, if nothing makes you more downbeat than the thought of heading to work (or opening up your laptop from your dining-table-turned-desk) then perhaps its pointing to more than just January Blues.

The thing that gets me out of bed, whether its January or July, is that I lead an organization with over 1000 staff who are all inspired and playing a part in delivering our vision. If they are willing to show up, then I am motivated by seeing them grow and develop, says Paul Seabridge, CEO of the investment firm Opulentia Capital.

Make sure you are in a role as CEO in a business you live and breathe and genuinely get a buzz from running, he adds. 

Really, if you no longer get excited about running your business, then its probably time to hand the baton over to someone who does and find something that instills joy in you even on the dullest January day.

The Biden administration partially implemented the change last year, announcing it would no longer enforce a long-standing requirement that women pick up the medicine in person. Tuesdays action formally updates the drugs labeling to allow many more retail pharmacies to dispense the pills, so long as they complete a certification process.

The change could expand access at both brick-and-mortar stores and online pharmacies. Women can get a prescription via telehealth consultation with a health professional, and then receive the pills through the mail, where permitted by law.

Still, the rule changes impact has been blunted by numerous state laws limiting abortion broadly and the pills specifically. Legal experts foresee years of court battles over access to the pills, as abortion-rights proponents bring test cases to challenge state restrictions.

For more than 20 years, the FDA labeling had limited dispensing to a subset of specialty offices and clinics, due to safety concerns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA temporarily suspended the in-person requirement. The agency later said a new scientific review by agency staff supported easing access, concurring with numerous medical societies that had long said the restriction wasnt necessary.

Two drugmakers that make brand-name and generic versions of abortion pills requested the latest FDA label update. Agency rules require a company to file an application before modifying dispensing restrictions on drugs.

Danco Laboratories, which sells branded Mifeprex, said in a statement the change is critically important to expanding access to medication abortion services and will provide healthcare providers with another option for prescribing the drug.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called the update an important step forward.

Although the FDAs announcement today will not solve access issues for every person seeking abortion care, it will allow more patients who need mifepristone for medication abortion additional options to secure this vital drug, the group said in a statement.

More than half of U.S. abortions are now done with pills rather than surgery, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights.

The FDA in 2000 approved mifepristone to terminate pregnancies of up to 10 weeks, when used with a second drug, misoprostol. Mifepristone is taken first to dilate the cervix and block the hormone progesterone, which is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Misoprostol is taken 24 to 48 hours later, causing the uterus to contract and expel pregnancy tissue.

Bleeding is a common side effect, though serious complications are very rare. The FDA says more than 3.7 million U.S. women have used mifepristone since its approval.

Several FDA-mandated safety requirements remain in effect, including training requirements to certify that prescribers can provide emergency care in the case of excessive bleeding. Pharmacies that dispense the pills also need a certification.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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It was the first time in 100 years that a nominee for House speaker could not take the gavel on the first vote, but McCarthy appeared undeterred. Instead, he vowed to fight to the finish, encouraged, he said, by former President Donald Trump to end the disarray and pull the Republican Party together.

The House is scheduled to convene Wednesday after the stalemate essentially forced all other business to a standstill, waiting on Republicans to elect a speaker.

Today, is that the day I wanted to have? No, McCarthy told reporters late Tuesday at the Capitol after a series of closed-door meetings.

McCarthy said Trump wants him to stay in the race and told him to bring an end to the House Republican chaos and pull the party together.

The former president wants to see the Republicans united to be able to accomplish the exact things we said wed do, McCarthy said.

Asked if he would drop out, McCarthy said, Its not going to happen.

It was a tumultuous start to the new Congress and pointed to difficulties ahead with Republicans now in control of the House.

Tensions flared among the new House majority as their campaign promises stalled out. Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form swearing in its members, naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration. Lawmakers families had waited around, as whats normally a festive day descended into chaos, with kids playing in the aisles or squirming in parents arms.

But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound to win over right-flank conservatives who reject his leadership. It typically takes a majority of the House to become speaker, 218 votes though the threshold can drop if members are absent or merely vote present, an strategy McCarthy appeared to be considering.

McCarthy won no more than 203 votes in three rounds of voting, losing as many as 20 Republicans from his slim 222-seat majority.

Not since 1923 has a speakers election gone to multiple ballots, and the longest and most grueling fight for the gavel started in late 1855 and dragged out for two months, with 133 ballots, during debates over slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.

Kevin McCarthy is not going to be a speaker, declared Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of the holdouts.

A new generation of conservative Republicans, many aligned with Trumps Make America Great Again agenda, want to upend business as usual in Washington, and were committed to stopping McCarthys rise without concessions to their priorities.

In many ways, the challenge from the far-right was reminiscent of the last time Republicans seized power in the House, when tea party Republicans brought hardball politics and shutdown government after winning control in the 2010 midterm elections.

As the spectacle of voting dragged on, McCarthys backers implored the holdouts to fall in line for the California Republican.

We all came here to get things done, the second-ranking Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise, said in a speech nominating McCarthy for the vote and urging his colleagues to drop their protest.

Railing against Democratic President Joe Bidens agenda, Scalise, himself a possible GOP compromise choice, said, We cant start fixing those problems until we elect Kevin McCarthy our next speaker.

But the holdouts forced a third and final round of voting before Republican leaders quickly adjourned Tuesday evening.

The American people are watching, and its a good thing, said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who nominated fellow conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as an alternative for speaker.

Jordan, the McCarthy rival-turned-ally, was twice pushed forward by conservatives, but he does not seem to want the job. The Ohio Republican is line to become Judiciary Committee chairman, and he rose during the floor debate to urge his colleagues to instead vote for McCarthy.

We have to rally around him, come together, Jordan said.

In all, a core group of 19 Republicans and then 20 voted for someone other than McCarthy. The first ballot sent votes to Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Jordan and others, while Jordan alone won the votes on the next two ballots.

The standoff over McCarthy has been building since Republicans appeared on track to win the House majority in the midterm elections in November. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront Biden after two years of the Democrats controlling both houses of Congress. The conservative Freedom Caucus led the opposition to McCarthy, believing hes neither conservative enough nor tough enough to battle Democrats.

To win support, McCarthy has already agreed to many of the demands of the Freedom Caucus, who have been agitating for rules changes and other concessions that give rank-and=file more influence in the legislative process. He has been here before, having bowed out of the speakers race in 2015 when he failed to win over conservatives.

Late Tuesday, pizza, Chick-fil-A and tacos were carried into various meeting rooms at the Capitol after the failed votes as McCarthy supporters and detractors hunkered down to figure out how to elect a speaker.

Everythings on the table, said McCarthy ally Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. except, he said, having the leader step aside. Not at all. That is not on the table.

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trumps effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election had said earlier it was up to McCarthy to meet their demands and change the dynamic.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker a typically symbolic gesture for the minority but one that took on new importance with Republicans at odds with each other.

While Jeffries won the most votes overall, 212, it was not the majority to become speaker.

McCarthy focused on those numbers late Tuesday. If McCarthy could win 213 votes, and then persuade the remaining naysayers to simply vote present, he would be able to lower the threshold required under the rules to have the majority.

Its a strategy former House speakers, including outgoing Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Speaker John Boehner had used when they confronted opposition, winning the gavel with fewer than 218 votes.

Said McCarthy late Tuesday at the Capitol: You get 213 votes, and the others dont say another name, thats how you can win.