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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
2013 Women in Business and the Gender Gap Statistics
A new year has begun, so let's take some time to review what happened for women in business and the gender pay gap during 2013. As I did in 2012, I went through the research-related articles published on Women on Business during 2013, and selected a collection of articles that provide a great overview of how the business world looked for women throughout the year. Follow the … [Read more...]
71 Years to Gender Equality in Top Chicago Companies
The Chicago 50 2013 Census Report from The Chicago Network reveals that it will take 71 years for men and women to have equal representation in the boardrooms and executive positions at Chicago's 50 largest publicly-traded companies. In 2013, the census found the total number of top women executive officers fell to 74, down from its peak of 94 set in 2005. The percentage of … [Read more...]
Biases Against Women in Business in the Words of Google VP Megan Smith [Video]
At the Fortune Summit for Women 2013, Megan Smith, VP of Google[x] talked about the biases against women in business, particularly in the engineering field, in a video interview. It's worth the 3-minutes of your day to watch this video. Smith makes the case for why the gender gap persists and explains that a significant part of the problem is unconscious bias. This is … [Read more...]