Strength Of Women Can Rebuild Global Economy: Report

Ernst & Young has released a report during the World Economic Forum that highlights the significant and proven contributions women make toward business and economic growth. The report, Groundbreakers: Using the strength of women to rebuild the global economy, builds a powerful case for the advancement of women around the world as an overlooked and untapped way to meet the challenges of our global economy.

As the world works to recover from the current financial crisis, the report is a resource for private sector and government leaders seeking to advance gender equity initiatives around the world.

"At a time when our global economy is facing its greatest challenge in decades, we have to capitalize on the contributions women make as leaders, entrepreneurs, and employees," noted James S. Turley, Chairman and CEO of Ernst & Young. "Many corporations and governments have been making efforts to advance women - now is the time to accelerate those efforts. It's time to place renewed emphasis on women's advancement and women's perspectives as a key tool in moving businesses and economies ahead."

The report analyzes the most compelling research on: 1) the importance of women as an economic force; 2) the wide occupational and wage disparities between women and men; 3) the power of critical mass; and 4) diversity as a mathematical equation for success.

Sources include The World Economic Forum, Goldman Sachs, The White House Project, Catalyst, the United Nations, McKinsey & Company, The European Commission, and many others. It also compiles commentary on key women's issues from leading academics, NGOs, policymakers, and global business leaders.

"It is in everyone's best interest to bring qualified women into leadership positions, especially now when fresh perspectives are needed," noted Ilene H. Lang, President and CEO of Catalyst. "We can no longer afford to set gender boundaries around leadership. The power is in the purse strings: until women are equitably represented in leadership in the private, economic sector, they will be marginalized in every other arena. What's good for women is good for men, business and the global economy."

Go here for the full report.

Comments

[papapj]

Tines they are a changin'...

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/03/02/tf.unemployed.boyfriend/index.html

The egos of many, many men are being severely tested by the current economic climate....

[longtimegone]

New ideas for rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic of capitalism are coming from all quarters now, but they amount to little more than tinkering. Tinkering will only forestall the inevitable and this is little more than that: slipping a few women into positions with a high degree of visibility [Condi Rice style]. A world-wide conference of women, called for by women and arranged by women, to circulate new ideas, to drive us toward a new economic paradigm would make an actual difference. What we need are ideas for tapping the potential of women at the village level, at the neighborhood level. The issuing of micro-loans to women in India so that they can operate small scale businesses has been an amazing success, turning women into bread winners for their families and thus, ultimately, giving them real political power. Rather than predetermining how women can contribute economically, why not ask how they might redefine the entire system? If all the money used to prop up the financial sector and the banking system was dispersed as micro-loans to women with business ideas, then we'd see a real change in emphasis. Bailing out those deemed too big to fail or reinvigorating the economic system on the micro-level where, after all, most of us actually live?

[papapj]

Good post, with the objection that such a conference should be all inclusive - men also, we have to be made to feel that we are part of the solution, also - otherwise it is doomed to acrimonious failure. The tacit assumption that men only care about men is about as valid as the assumption that women care only about women, don't you agree, longtimegone?

[longtimegone]

That is not my tacit assumption, as I assume it is not yours. The thrust of the article seemed to be that men, who wisely oversee all, were now willing to admit a few women of the right sort into upper management. The obvious question, it seems to me, is why should those, who either caused or were helpless to prevent what is an expanding economic catastrophe, be allowed to dictate the terms under which women will be allowed greater participation? Why not allow women the freedom to define the shape and scope of their contribution? I'm secure enough I think, as I'm sure you are as well, to listen to any ideas such a conference might generate once it concludes. At that point, the ensuing exchange between us would begin from a place of real equality, less tainted by the patronizing attitude I sensed in the article. Regards

[papapj]

This is a patriarchal world....but Mother Nature is in control.

The unacknowledged work that women do in rearing the next generation is unnacounted for in our economic system, and it needs to be.

[leonel]

I know more secrets about women that Pandora has shared with me, but she trusts me to keep them to myself. Sorry boys!

[leonel]

Women have always run the planet, they just get tired so let their boys feel important and put them to work. As soon as they screw up things completely, women have to take it back. I learned this from Pandora, somehow she trusted to tell me. She is not my mother but I am one of her favorite boys.

[PromiseLand]

Women don't like to work.

They just marry rich husbands.

[learntofly]

If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy...

And you know it's true.

[Furby]

Great! Hand it all over to women once it's a big mess. Some things don't change.

[luvangelHussein330]

well.... we are excellent in a crisis

[PATina]

True!