While the movement for gender equality has secured women participation at ballot boxes across the globe, their votes are still in short supply at the world's decision making tables. An August study found that women hold a disappointing 16.1 percent of board of director seats in the U.S., 5.1 percent in Brazil, 8.5 percent in China, and less than one percent in Japan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The statistics should serve as a startling reminder of who holds the power around the globe -- and galvanize the world's powerbrokers to take a stand.
Instead of standing up, too many men kick back and take a seat, complacent in their majority at the expense of diversity and inclusion (and perhaps even profits -- a recent study found that companies with female board members perform significantly better than companies with all-male boards). If gender equality is to be achieved, fair policies, inclusive systems, and ongoing advocacy must come from those who still head and inherit society's halls of power. As women work to empower themselves and their communities, men have to do their part.
But it's not just women who'd benefit from a level playing field. The success of the opposite sex is also in men's best interests, as research shows that leaving girls and women in lower societal standing is a dismal prospect for both genders. A World Bank study recognized that increased job opportunities for women leads to less poverty and faster growth for everyone, including men and children. And limiting women's participation in the workforce costs the Asia-Pacific region up to $42 billion per year, according to a UN report.
Opportunities for inclusion will present themselves in in the coming days, as New York City hosts leaders and luminaries from various sectors for numerous geo-political gatherings. The attendees, most of whom are men, will extend handshakes, exchange ideas, and adopt resolutions, hoping to find solutions for a more prosperous and sustainable planet. Ironically, many of these powerbrokers will rack their brains for ways to make the most out of limited capital, food, and energy, yet miss the return on investment that comes from putting women in the lead.
And then there's the Clinton Global Initiative. While its Annual Meeting boasts the same high level of global thought leaders -- heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, and leaders of philanthropy -- as many of the other international gatherings, its strategic focus on the power of girls and women dramatically sets it apart. Here, the world's most powerful men and women astutely acknowledge that the half of the population most impacted by poverty, disease, social inequality, and unsustainable systems of food and business often holds the most insight. And rather than settle for thoughtful discussions, they take solutions-oriented actions that place girls and women at the center.
The authors of this article formed a valuable friendship forged in our shared zeal for women's rights last year, when CGI worked on gender-inclusive problem solving in Haiti. It's a geo-political area one of us is particularly passionate about as the co-founder of We Advance, a nonprofit promoting gender equality for the population feeling the brunt of Haiti's poverty and disasters.
To my excitement, CGI immediately got behind our project to empower women in the areas of health, hygiene, human rights, and gender-based violence in Wharf Jeremy, as did many Haitian men from the neighborhood. By the end of 2012, our program will have educated nearly 2,000 people in the infamous Port-au-Prince slum, a major success made possible by the active participation of men.
However, the story was far from over. Proving infectious, the women's newfound empowerment didn't stay contained in that neighborhood -- the local success and support of CGI encouraged the Haitian women to lobby their federal government for equal participation. Their efforts gained the support of Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe and President Michel Martelly, leading to a cabinet in which women make up 60 percent of new members and a $10 million fund for woman-owned businesses. Though traditionally controlled by men, the government in the end knew the work ethic of Haitian women and that any country's best bet for revitalization lies in putting women's voices at the forefront.
But the move toward gender inclusion doesn't start or end with prime ministers, presidential cabinets, or, even as promising as it is, the upcoming CGI Annual Meeting. The curriculums in our schools and examples in our homes will powerfully shape the values of our students, sons, and leaders. Whether boys and men are engaged in gender-inclusive solutions today determines the quality of the world girls, women, and our communities will inherit tomorrow.
Maria Bello is an American actress and activist and is the Goodwill Ambassador for Women in Haiti. Penny Abeywardena is the Head of Girls and Women and Associate Director of Commitments at the Clinton Global Initiative.
Women accounted for 62 percent of all associate degrees, 57 percent of all bachelor's degrees, 61 percent of all master's, and 51 percent of all doctorates being awarded.
I think the element no one is willing to discuss is the gender differences in drive and willingness to sacrifice one’s personal life. To put it simply, many women are unwilling to forego motherhood in order to achieve wealth and power.
I’ve seen a trend for highly educated women to back off their career drive and begin to look for a more balanced work-life balance. I believe the reason for this stems from a fundamental difference between men and women: Men generally judge themselves based on professional achievements and women generally judge themselves on personal appearance. Despite moves toward equal distribution of household chores among both genders, it is my experience that men self-select for jobs that require extended travel and long hours because of their innate desire to succeed professionally.
Unless women can learn to ignore their biological drive to have and raise children, this gender gap in upper management positions will continue to exist despite women’s unprecedented domination in higher education. There’s simply more to the equation than gender discrimination.
I used to think that the relationship between men and women was a partnership. It's not. Feminism has taught me better. It's a competition. Women don't want equality. They want to trade places with men. Even here on this article. Read the comments. When women were expected to be housewives and stay at home mothers it was "male oppression". But now that women are outperforming men, I'm constantly hearing that men need to "do their part" and accept the roles of "house husbands" and "stay at home dads". The hypocrisy of the modern American woman is astounding...
Actually the study found that to be true only for the recession.
However, there is a clear split between relative
performance in the 2005–07 period and perfor-
mance post-2008. In the middle of the decade
when economic growth was relatively robust, there
was little difference in share price performance
between companies with or without women on the
board. Almost all of the outperformance in our
backtest was delivered post-2008, since the
macro environment deteriorated and volatility
increased.
https://infocus.credit-suisse.com/data/_product_documents/_shop/360145/csri_gender_diversity_and_corporate_performance.pdf
The report aggregates results over all industries even though some industries have different performance characteristics. Industrial sectors have substantially different boards by gender. In health care about three quarters of boards have a woman. Where as it's less than half for information technology. One would be better off investing in an industry with a preference for male boards.
Total returns for last ten years for
information technology: 7.37%
healthcare: 5.01%
http://www.sectorspdr.com/shared/pdf/SPDR-Periodic-Table-web.pdf
The bill's defeat came after Democrats made a tightly coordinated media blitz to call for the bill's passage. President Obama, Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Barbara Mikulski (D-M.d.), and Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Rosa Delauro (D-Conn.), all held conference calls expressing strong support for the legislation. But Republicans strongly opposed the bill, leaving Democrats short of the seven votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Democrats said the paycheck bill's defeat is the latest example of a Republican "war on women."
It is a very sad day here in the United States Senate but it's a sadder day everyday when paycheck day comes and women continue to make less than men.
President Obama lobbies for Paycheck Fairness Act.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Today, the Senate Republicans filibustered to block passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in a 52 to 47 tally, successfully killing the bill. Republicans are standing against public opinion, common sense, and fifty years of advances in gender equality. The filibuster follows an attempt last week by House Democrats to get a vote on the bill, which the Republican House majority refused to allow.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women who work full time still earn, on average, only 77 cents for every dollar men earn. The statistics are even worse for women of color. In 2010, African American women only earned approximately 62 cents and Latinas only 54 cents for each dollar earned by a white man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.
Reason enough to GET RID OF THE GOP
btw these two probably live in CT or Virgina and there husbands are hedge fund managers....
http://www.siliconbeat.com/2012/09/10/hewlett-packard-layoffs-climb-to-29000-aiming-for-120000-over-past-decade/
These women get in these jobs and do the exact same thing men do which is do whatever they can to eek out a profit in a competitive market place. The only practical goal would be make increasingly irrelevant feminist types feel like they are doing something.
We need some diversity in our feminist population because these bourgeois women just don't get it. Instead of trying to work the divide between men and women to advance tiny numbers of women try focusing on things that really help women like stable relationships with the father's of their children. Let's do something about our divorce rate, or how about the 70% plus out of wedlock birth rate devastating the black community. I would like to see some gender unity here, we are in this together.
Stoking the flames of the gender war isn't helping them to do that. We need to work harder on male female unity not independent advancement for each apart from the other. We are pair bonding, sexually reproducing who raise our off spring for a long time well after sexual maturity. We need to do this as a team just like we were designed to do.
Other than that, poverty rates in the black community have always been sky high but I see white women trying to get board jobs for white women instead of focusing on that nor will such a focus even help poor white women.
Yes, let's not help women to achieve any individual success as unique and irreplaceable human beings. If they'd just go back to making their lives all about men,all would be well. Let's go back to teaching young girls that their primary purpose in life is to be a wife and mother.
Ed, do you ever stop fantasizing that someday we're all going to wake up and decide what we really need to do is reverse the course of history and go backwards?
However, the all-too-common (admittedly not entirely undeserved) hostility that many feminists have toward men has forced me to the point where I can no longer consider myself a feminist. A lot of feminists aren't interested in equality so much as they are in reversing the gender roles -- a "women have been dominated for thousands of years, now it's man's turn" mentality.
So now I simply refer to myself as an egalitarian.
It is not the fault of these ladies that the company teased their article with that unfortunate choice on the main page. Still, it is foul.
Men do not need to be assaulted. There was no need to assault men to make any point. There is no excuse for that.
For me, their attitude is bad. There is no need for the man bashing they engage in, and I do not appreciate it.
I am so happy to know many women who work pleasantly and cooperatively with everyone. The negative attitude of these two are not up to the standards of the women I know. They can keep their points of view.