The sixth annual World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2011 shows that over the last six years 85% of countries have been improving their gender equality but in several African and South American countries it is declining. There is also a small decline in South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom in the last year. Gains have been made in … [Read more...]
Gloria Steinem and Fear Busters
There were all kinds of sizes, shapes and ages at the Pa. Women’s Conference in October. Close to 4,000 women gathered to listen, compare, critique, and collaborate. It was stimulating. One well deserved standing ovation went to Gloria Steinem, still beautiful in her 70's. With hair pulled back and little make-up, she is a great example of how one can age gracefully and … [Read more...]
Leadership and Feminism
In our recent GUTSY WOMEN LEADERS retreat I showed a video of Isabel Allende when she was a presenter at a TED conference. She is one of my favorite authors; her novels are filled with the depth of what life is all about; love, sorrow, misunderstandings, and the courage to change. She mentions a conversation she had with her daughter who stated emphatically that feminism is … [Read more...]
Community Builder Par Excellent
I had the opportunity to interview a mover and shaker, whose passion for reaching out into the community made me want to quit my job and work with her. Susan Bass Levin is the head of the Cooper Hospital Foundation in New Jersey. A lawyer by training and an entrepreneur and community advocate in her hear,t she listened to an internal drum beat that said “see a problem-fix a … [Read more...]
Women and the Changing Global Economy
The numbers have been coming in steadily over the past few years, and there is no way to deny anymore that women are taking greater control of the U.S. economy (and much of the global economy) and doing it quietly and quickly. For example, back in 2008, U.S. News and World Report released data telling us that women controlled 60% of the wealth in the United States. That … [Read more...]
Women, Leadership and Are We There Yet?
Big question is “Where is there?” or even better “Where is here”? How do we know when change has really taken hold? How do we know when we, as women, have found what we want in terms of equality at work? First, some thoughts about change and how it happens. In our culture we have become so addicted to instant everything that we expect change at the drop of a hat. It just … [Read more...]
Why is the Pipeline in Peril?
Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women on Business writer We all know those dismal and annoying stats about women in business – we’re about half the workforce but only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 15% of board of directors, and 13% of executive officers. It’s also true that women are making great strides and graduating with about half of the advance professional degrees, … [Read more...]
Betty Takes on Walmart
Last week a San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals certified the largest class-action employment lawsuit in U.S. history. The dispute was first filed in 2001 by Betty Dukes, a store greeter from California, along with five co-workers. The plaintiffs argue that women are paid less and given fewer promotions than their male co-workers, and the lawsuit states that … [Read more...]
Women Leadership and Mad Men
Some revolutions are bloody, and some are flash-in-the-pan moments. The women’s movement began quietly with a book “The Feminine Mystique”, moved to bra burning, and gained traction with consciousness raising groups. All of that seems like it was centuries ago. We now head large organizations, are in key positions in government, and have a say in just about everything. … [Read more...]
Why Critical Mass is Important
Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women On Business writer I was meeting with the top decision-makers at a client organization recently to plan out an important event for 2010. As we began to discuss the speakers they had invited to participate, and the ones they planned to recruit, I realized there wasn’t a single woman – or minority – among them. Though, in fairness, … [Read more...]