Though I consider myself an eternal optimist, the current research into gender inequality in the workplace is disconcerting, with the gender gap not expected to close until 2186. Still — and here's the optimist in me — this lag actually reveals opportunity. Discussions around addressing this gender gap are louder than ever, and it seems obstacles to it are more structural … [Read more...]
4 Keys to Enhance Female Leadership in Your Business
Sponsored by SelectHub: It should come as a surprise to no one that about 50% of the population is women. What is surprising is just how little that fact informs the most important decisions we make: decisions such as whom to hire and fast track into leadership roles within the corporate structure. But as anybody who has studied discrimination for more than a microsecond … [Read more...]
3 Ways Women Entrepreneurs Can Close the Gender Gap in 2017
Women in the U.S. enjoy unprecedented freedoms — but we still have a long way to go before we’re seen as equals to men in the workplace. While the intention to change is more widely acknowledged today than ever before, the gender gap stems from an attitude that’s deep-seated in many companies. Investor and entrepreneur John Greathouse recently wrote a column for The Wall … [Read more...]
How Motivation For Female Entrepreneurs Differs Throughout The World
Over recent years, there has been a growing trend for female entrepreneurs launching new ventures at a higher rate than men. Within the EU, 34.4% of entrepreneurs are women, and in the United States, there are more than 6.2 million privately held, female-owned companies. While these statistics are encouraging, the gender pay gap still persists (particularly in developing … [Read more...]
Prove Yourself … Again: Why Women Get Overlooked for Management Positions
As a woman, do you feel like you have to work twice as hard to prove yourself half as much? If so, you’ve had first-hand experience with “Prove It Again” bias. Joan C. Williams, a distinguished professor of law at University of California, Hastings College of Law, interviewed 127 women in high-ranking positions as part of an ongoing research project. Almost every woman spoke … [Read more...]
The Gender Gap and International Women’s Day
Today is International Women's Day. It's a day to recognize and celebrate women around the world, but in nearly every part of the world, women are still considered second-class citizens. Even in the United States, the gender pay gap provides one of the most irrefutable pieces of evidence that equality is far from a reality. With that in mind, let's review some key … [Read more...]
The Day Our CEO Told The Head of HR Her Ovaries Were Shriveling
I still hear stories about male colleagues requesting meetings in gentleman’s clubs, women being laughed out of the boardroom for using the color pink in presentations, and female employees feeling uncomfortable because of their choice of attire. Little things that remind us that we don’t belong entirely in the men’s club that is corporate America. Catalyst, a U.S. … [Read more...]
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Helps the Global Economy
Sponsored by Coke Philippines: "Entrepreneurs are the foundation for innovation, economic growth, and job creation." That quote was published last year by Ingrid Vanderveldt of the United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneur Council. However, the gender gap still exists in business and in life. According to the 2014 World Economic Forum Gender Gap report, the largest … [Read more...]
Queen Bees in the Workplace
There is no denying that there is a lack of women in the workplace, especially in industries such as IT, finance, construction and engineering. The stats vary from country to country, but nevertheless, the issue exists worldwide. This has an effect far greater than just on women’s careers. It affects men, women, businesses, and the economy because research shows that a more … [Read more...]
Equal Pay Requires 100 Years or a Sex Change
Equal pay is a problem around the world---even in Sweden which is widely considered to be one of the most progressive and gender-equal countries in the world. According to the World Economic Forum's 2013 Global Gender Gap report, Sweden ranks fourth globally, but the reality of the gender pay gap in Sweden makes that fourth place finish far less impressive. Did you know that … [Read more...]