why we need more women leaders

Why we need more womenleaders

1AAUW

Women are much less likely than men to be considered leaders. In 2015, only 5 percent of the companies in the Standard and Poor’s 500 index had female chief executive officers (Catalyst, 2015a). Of course, the leadership gap is not confined to business. In the nonprofit sector, women are more likely to be in leadership positions, but they remain underrepresented. For example, in a 2015 Massachusetts study, only 21 out of 151 nonprofit orga-nizations had boards with at least 50 percent women (Boston Club, 2015).

Meanwhile, women make up only one in five members of the U.S. Con-gress, and just six states (New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ore-gon, Rhode Island, and South Carolina) currently have female governors (Center for American Women and Politics, 2016a). But the leadership gap is not confined to business and politics; unions (Bryant-Anderson & Roby, 2012), religious institutions (Christ, 2014), the legal profession (Rikleen, 2015), academia (American Council on Education, 2012), and many other institutions also exhibit this gap.

For Asian, black, and Hispanic women, the problem is even more acute. Fewer than 3 percent of board directors at Fortune 500 companies are women from these groups (Catalyst, 2015b). This disparity is also found at the staff level. Asian, black, and Hispanic women make up 17 percent of workers in S&P 500 companies but fewer than 4 percent of executive officials and managers (Catalyst, 2014). In the legal profession, where only

WHAT IS THE GENDER LEADERSHIP GAP, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

9

Gender parity: Is it fantasty or reality?

Even when pitted against outlandish goals, one in four Americans say that it’s more likely that humans will colonize Mars (26%) and four in 10 think that space travel will be routine just like air travel for tourism (40%) within their lifetime than half of Fortune 500 CEOs will be women (vs. 74% and 60%, respectively).

But compared with a scenario that is closer to reality, Americans divide more closely—six in 10 find it more likely that self-driving cars will be a normal mode of transportation (59%) before women make up half of the CEOs at Fortune 500 companies (41%, with women more pessimistic about it than men; 36% vs. 46%).

1 in 4 Americans think it is more likely that humans will colonize on Mars than that half of Fortune 500 CEOs will be women.

5Diversity Matters

Exhibit 4

Gender diversity of executive management team1 Percent of companies by percent race/ethnicity diversity

19

22

38

1613

21– 30% 11– 20% 1–10% 0% 41– 50% 31– 40%

017

16

31

16

30

> 50% 41–50% 31–40% 21–30% 11–20% 1–10% 0%

0010

197

63

21– 30% 11– 20% 1–10% 0% 41– 50% 31– 40%

Population diversity Percent, 2012

Women

50.9% Men 49.1%

Women 50.8% Men 49.2%

Women

50.8% 49.2% Men

Average percent women in executive team

12%

16%

6%

1 Number of companies = 107 for UK, 186 for US, 67 for Brazil

Women are still underrepresented at the top of corporations globally

SOURCE: US Census Bureau, McKinsey Diversity Database SOURCE: US Census Bureau, McKinsey Diversity Database

Exhibit 5

Compared with other countries, the UK is doing a better job in racial diversity, though it still faces challenges

SOURCE: Companies websites, McKinsey Diversity Database

Racial diversity of executive management team1 Percent of companies by percent race/ethnicity diversity

127

2323

45

31–40% 21–30% 11–20% 1–10% 0% 41–50%

0381113

65

41–50% 31–40% 21–30% 11–20% 1–10% 0%

9411100

66

41–50% 31–40% 21–30% 11–20% 1–10% 0%

Labour force diversity Percent

90

Non-white

White

10

32

Non-white2

White2

68

50 50

Non-white/ Latino

Percent not representative

78%

97%

91%

European ancestry/ other3

1 Number of companies = 107 for UK, 186 for US, 67 for Brazil 2 Undocumented labour force, largely Latino, estimated at 6 to 8 million (Bloomberg, Pew), has not been included in the breakdown 3 Other includes mixed race, African ancestry, native

SOURCE: Companies websites, McKinsey Diversity Database

Davos: 20% of women in 2017

What about being your own boss?

And it is the same in any field

Source:UNWomen

In the air…• Only about 450 women

worldwide are airline captains -- pilots in command who supervise all the other crew members on a flight, according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots.

• In the USA, about 5.12% of airline or commercial pilots are women.

• The gender gap varies byregion: it’s even wider in Mexico (only 2.33% women) and narrower in France (7.62%), Sweden (8.20%) orFinland (12.07%).

Or in the kitchen…

Is chef a male word?

Yet leadership is changing

From gender diversity to leadership variety

A leadership more relational than hierarchical

• As our economy continues to globalize, as the world gets “flatter” and as technology continues to change how we work, leadership is evolving into a relational rather than a hierarchical activity.

• We’re transitioning from command and control to facilitative and collaborative leadership that works across teams, time zones, cultures and disciplines.

• What we think of as “soft skills” are becoming critical to leadership– and early career women, generally speaking, are comfortable and adept leading with these kinds of skills and abilities.

Simply having female leaders changes the norms about who can lead and what

qualities are necessary in leadership.

• The evidence shows that female leaders typically have more compassion and empathy, and a more open and inclusive negotiation style.

• This is not, of course, necessarily true of all women -- there are many different leadership styles.

• That said, modern ideas of transformative leadership are more in line with qualities women generally share: empathy, inclusiveness and an open negotiation style.

Significant benefits in having women in leadership roles.

• Diversity of thought• In contrast to leadership teams that are comprised predominantly, if not entirely, of men from very similar demographic and

professional backgrounds, groups that are more mixed will consider a wider range of issues, from a variety of perspectives, and generate more innovative solutions.

• Better governance and organisational performance• Research shows that when women and men work together on boards, much better governance and economic performance

results. This is often referred to as the business case for gender diversity.• Leveraging human capital• Women have higher participation and completion rates in tertiary education compared to men, and they are increasingly

out-numbering men in education achievement. To get the very best leaders we need to be selecting candidates from the widest possible talent pool.

• The lack of women in leadership roles represents a failure to exploit the available talent pool.• Representation• Research shows that the interests of women, children and families are more likely to be taken into account by

women. Diversity promotes a better understanding of a diverse market place. International data suggests that women are responsible for 80 percent of household purchasing decisions, and the figure for New Zealand is likely to be similar.

• The business case for gender diversity• The evidence-based business case for gender diversity is well documented and widely accepted internationally. There is

a concerted global effort to increase the numbers of women in leadership and this is happening in New Zealand too.• Many large international studies report that companies with a higher proportion of women on their boards perform

significantly better than their competitors in economic terms. Moreover, several studies have reported that companies with a higher proportion of women on their boards performed better than their competitors during the recent financial crisis.

• A New Zealand study by Goldman Sachs Closing The Gender Gap: Plenty Of Potential Economic Upsideestimated that closing the gap between male and female employment rates would boost New Zealand's GDP by 10 percent. The report identified the lack of women in leadership, and on boards in particular, as an area requiring urgent attention.

DIVERSITY IS THE NEW DARWINISM

FINDINGS AND ACTIONS:

FULL REPORTMAY 2016

DIVERSITY IS THE NEW DARWINISM

FINDINGS AND ACTIONS:

FULL REPORTMAY 2016

So how do you explain this leadership gap?

It starts very young

2 MAKING CARING COMMON | A Project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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YKEY FINDINGS

1. Many Boys and Girls Expressed Bias Against Girls as Leaders in Powerful Professions: • When asked who is more effective in specific

professions, almost a quarter of teen girls—23%—preferred male over female political leaders while only 8% of girls preferred female political leaders, with 69% reporting no difference in preference.

• Forty-percent of teen boys preferred male over female political leaders while only 4% preferred female political leaders with 56% expressing no preference. A higher percentage of boys preferred male business leaders (36%) to female leaders (6%). There was no significant difference between girls’ preference for male versus female business leaders.

• Both boys and girls preferred females by large margins in traditionally female professions, e.g., as child care directors and arts program directors.

2. Students Were Least Likely to Support Granting More Power to White Girls as Council Leaders: • In response to the scenario intended to detect

implicit biases3, students were least likely to support giving more power to the student council when it was led by white girls and most likely to support giving more power when it was led by white boys.4

Black and Latino boys and girls appear to face leadership biases as well based on our scenario. See footnote and finding #6 below for more information on racial biases.5

• We also looked at whether students in each school preferred giving more power to one type of council over another. In 59% of the schools we surveyed, students on average expressed more support for a council headed by white boys than for one headed by white girls.

3. White Girls Appear to be Biased Against Other White Girls as Leaders: The gap between white boys and white girls appears to be largely explained by the fact that white girls tended not to support giving power to white girls. White girls presented with boy-led councils expressed higher average support for the council than white girls presented with girl-led councils. Further, when we looked at what types of councils students tended to support in each school, we found that in 61% of our schools, white girls’ average level of support was higher for councils led by white males than those led by white females. These findings mirror studies of women in the workplace. A 2013 Gallup poll found, for example, that 35% of all respondents would prefer to have a male boss while only 23% of respondents would prefer to have a female boss, with 41% reporting no preference. The preference for male bosses was even stronger among female respondents (Newport & Wilke, 2013).

3. Students and parents who responded to the implicit bias scenario did not choose between different councils. Instead, they were present-ed with one scenario/council type and asked to indicate how likely they were to support the principal giving power to that council. About one-sixth (n=3300) of respondents were presented with each council type (i.e.: 1/6 were asked whether they wanted to give more power to a council led by white boys, 1/6 were asked if they wanted to give more power to a council led by white girls, etc.). We then compared the average level of support for each type of council. 4. The overall difference in the entire sample in the percent of students who showed support for white boys versus white girls was small but statistically significant.

5. Some of our reported findings are specific to white girls and boys, because that is where we saw the most statistically significant findings. However, responses to our implicit bias scenario suggest that students and parents do not view students’ capacity for leadership through one simple gender or race lens. It was hard for us to clearly assess students’ views about race because most differences in students’ responses to student council leaders on the implicit bias scenario were not statisti-cally significant. Yet it does appear from our data that students have complex views about how race and gender mix. For example, students expressed roughly the same amount of support for Latina councils as for white male councils. These findings—and how students generally view different race/gender combinations—merit further investigation. See full report for more information on our racial bias findings.

Leaning Out | Teen Girls and Leadership Biases 3

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

4. Some Mothers Appear to be Biased Against Girls as LeadersOn average, mothers presented with councils led by boys expressed stronger support than mothers presented with councils led by girls. We were not able to determine whether fathers had biases against girls because our sample of fathers was too small.6

5. Biases Against Girls have Many Causes: Our focus groups and interviews suggested a variety of reasons for students’ biases against girls and for white girls’ biases against each other, including highly competitive feelings among girls, girls lacking confidence and self-esteem and projecting that lack of confidence onto other girls, and girls being viewed as too emotionally “dramatic.” These findings are consistent with other research on girls ((Kling, Hyde, Showers, & Buswell, 1999; Marwick & Boyd, 2014).

6. Awareness of Bias Appears to Matter: Our data suggest that awareness of gender discrimination may be related to less implicit, unconscious bias against girls as leaders. Although white girls tended to support councils led by white boys over white girls, white girls who perceive high levels of gender discrimination at their school show greater preference for female-led student councils. While our study was mainly focused on gender bias, our data also suggests that students of color face racial biases and that awareness of racial discrimination may be related to less racial bias.7

While much of our data is encouraging (e.g. high percentages of both males and females express no preference between male and female political leaders), the percentage of teens who do express bias against female political leaders combined with our other data on implicit and explicit biases is cause for concern.

4% of boys and 8% of girls preferred female political leaders.

36% of boys preferred male business leaders; 6% preferred female leaders.

40% of teen boys and 23% of teen girls preferred male over female political leaders.

6. See methodology section in report for more information on parent respondent population, which included approximately 1200 parents. 7. Finding is marginally statistically significant.


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KEY FINDINGS

1. Many Boys and Girls Expressed Bias Against Girls as Leaders in Powerful Professions: • When asked who is more effective in specific

professions, almost a quarter of teen girls—23%—preferred male over female political leaders while only 8% of girls preferred female political leaders, with 69% reporting no difference in preference.

• Forty-percent of teen boys preferred male over female political leaders while only 4% preferred female political leaders with 56% expressing no preference. A higher percentage of boys preferred male business leaders (36%) to female leaders (6%). There was no significant difference between girls’ preference for male versus female business leaders.

• Both boys and girls preferred females by large margins in traditionally female professions, e.g., as child care directors and arts program directors.

2. Students Were Least Likely to Support Granting More Power to White Girls as Council Leaders: • In response to the scenario intended to detect

implicit biases3, students were least likely to support giving more power to the student council when it was led by white girls and most likely to support giving more power when it was led by white boys.4

Black and Latino boys and girls appear to face leadership biases as well based on our scenario. See footnote and finding #6 below for more information on racial biases.5

• We also looked at whether students in each school preferred giving more power to one type of council over another. In 59% of the schools we surveyed, students on average expressed more support for a council headed by white boys than for one headed by white girls.

3. White Girls Appear to be Biased Against Other White Girls as Leaders: The gap between white boys and white girls appears to be largely explained by the fact that white girls tended not to support giving power to white girls. White girls presented with boy-led councils expressed higher average support for the council than white girls presented with girl-led councils. Further, when we looked at what types of councils students tended to support in each school, we found that in 61% of our schools, white girls’ average level of support was higher for councils led by white males than those led by white females. These findings mirror studies of women in the workplace. A 2013 Gallup poll found, for example, that 35% of all respondents would prefer to have a male boss while only 23% of respondents would prefer to have a female boss, with 41% reporting no preference. The preference for male bosses was even stronger among female respondents (Newport & Wilke, 2013).

3. Students and parents who responded to the implicit bias scenario did not choose between different councils. Instead, they were present-ed with one scenario/council type and asked to indicate how likely they were to support the principal giving power to that council. About one-sixth (n=3300) of respondents were presented with each council type (i.e.: 1/6 were asked whether they wanted to give more power to a council led by white boys, 1/6 were asked if they wanted to give more power to a council led by white girls, etc.). We then compared the average level of support for each type of council. 4. The overall difference in the entire sample in the percent of students who showed support for white boys versus white girls was small but statistically significant.

5. Some of our reported findings are specific to white girls and boys, because that is where we saw the most statistically significant findings. However, responses to our implicit bias scenario suggest that students and parents do not view students’ capacity for leadership through one simple gender or race lens. It was hard for us to clearly assess students’ views about race because most differences in students’ responses to student council leaders on the implicit bias scenario were not statisti-cally significant. Yet it does appear from our data that students have complex views about how race and gender mix. For example, students expressed roughly the same amount of support for Latina councils as for white male councils. These findings—and how students generally view different race/gender combinations—merit further investigation. See full report for more information on our racial bias findings.












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What about parents? Do they have biases against girls as leaders? Mothers’ average level of support was higher for councils led by boys than by girls. These findings may reflect the degree to which females of all ages in this country have been affected by stereotypes about their capacities. Given that mothers are typically role models for girls and that girls tend to be highly responsive to their mothers’ aspirations and expectations of them, these findings are concerning.

We could not determine whether fathers had biases against girls because our sample of fathers was small. However, a good deal of research, including research cited here, suggests males’ biases female leaders.

GENDER BIASES HAVE MANY CAUSESOur focus groups and interviews suggested a variety of reasons for students’ biases toward white girls and for girls’ biases against each other. A few students, for example, indicated that because many girls have low self-esteem, they may assume that other girls have little self-esteem and thus wouldn’t be good leaders. As one student put it: “Girls wouldn’t vote for themselves, so why would they vote for another girl?”

Other students mentioned highly competitive feelings among girls. As one student stated flat-out, “I’m determined to beat other girls.” Some students suggested that many girls are viewed as too “dramatic” to be good leaders. Finally, a smaller number of students shared other reasons for girls not picking other girls: “girls don’t trust each other” or girls “aren’t nice.” These findings are consistent with other research, including research indicating that girls caught up in social hierarchies undercut each other in struggles for leadership and research documenting girls’ competitive feelings and tendency for “drama” (Brown, 2003; Marwick & Boyd, 2014).

Teen girls’ explicit and implicit, unconscious biases toward other girls are likely the result of many additional factors interacting differently for girls at

different developmental stages. These factors include denigrating media and cultural images of girls, parents own histories of gender bias and how those histories shape their expectations of both boys and girls, girls’ particular peer dynamics, gender biases and stereotypes that students confront at school, and the failure of many educators and parents to respond to sexism and misogyny in their interactions with each other and with teens.

THE GOOD NEWS: AWARENESS MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCEWhile these biases have many complex roots, the good news is that our findings suggest that awareness of gender bias and discrimination is linked to less reported bias. One hopes that as people become aware of biases, they are better able to bring them under conscious control and counteract them. That may be true of white girls in our study in terms of leadership biases. We asked students whether students at their school were discriminated against or excluded based on their gender. White girls who perceived no gender discrimination at their school were, on average, biases against girl-led councils, unlike white girls who perceived high levels of discrimination. The more discrimination white girls perceived, the lower their bias.13

“ Girls wouldn’t vote for themselves, so why would they vote for another girl?”

13. Our data did not indicate that boys’ awareness of gender discrimina-tion was associated with less gender bias. But that may be because boys interpreted gender discrimination differently than girls. It’s possible that many boys who reported awareness of gender discrimination at their

school thought that “gender discrimination” referred to discrimination not against girls but against boys. It seems far less likely that girls inter-preted “gender discrimination” as discrimination against boys.


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ARE TEEN GIRLS LEANING OUT? Our results suggest that teen girls both hold biases and suffer from biases that may corrode their relationships and sense of justice, sap their confidence in their leadership potential, and dampen their desire to seek leadership positions, especially in high-power fields.

EXPLICIT BIAS: POWERFUL BOYS AND NURTURING GIRLS Many teen girls have explicit biases toward other girls when it comes to powerful, high status professions. Explicit and implicit biases are very different beasts. Implicit biases are unconscious and typically automatic and people are generally motivated to eradicate them. A teen girl who wholeheartedly believes that women are just as capable business leaders as men will be distressed to discover that she holds an implicit bias against women business leaders and will be motivated to learn how to handle this bias. Explicit biases, on the other hand, reflect what people overtly believe to be true. Some teen girls and boys, for example, simply believe that males are better political leaders than females.10

Many girls in our survey expressed explicit biases toward females as political leaders. Girls didn’t express explicit biases toward other girls when it comes to leadership in general. When asked directly on our survey whether boys or girls are better leaders, girls are, in fact, more likely to report that girls are better leaders. Girls are also just as likely as boys to report that they anticipate that they will “be effective leaders as adults.” Girls reported, too, that they are just as smart as boys and can handle pressure as well as boys.

Yet when asked explicitly who they prefer as political leaders, 23% of girls preferred males while only 8% of girls preferred females, with 69% of girls reporting no preference. Girls expressed no significant preference for males or females as business leaders.

WHO MAKES BETTER POLITICAL LEADERS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Girls’ Answers Boys’ Answers

Neither

Males

Females

Neither

Males

Females

WHO MAKES BETTER CHILDCARE LEADERS

Neither

Females

FemalesFemales50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%


Males

Neither

Males

Neither

Girls were more likely to view females as better leaders than males in traditionally female professions, such as child care directors, health care directors and art directors. Fully 49% of girls saw girls as more capable child care directors while only three girls (which rounds to 0%) reported that males were better child care directors.

Boys were more likely to report both that males were better leaders overall and in powerful professions. Forty percent of boys preferred male to female political leaders and only 4% preferred female political leaders with 56% expressing no preference. That a significantly higher percentage of both boys and girls prefer male political leaders can clearly matter a great deal in political elections at every level, which are often won by small margins.

10. This data is based on 2 of our surveys combined (about 2,600 students).


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ARE TEEN GIRLS LEANING OUT? Our results suggest that teen girls both hold biases and suffer from biases that may corrode their relationships and sense of justice, sap their confidence in their leadership potential, and dampen their desire to seek leadership positions, especially in high-power fields.

EXPLICIT BIAS: POWERFUL BOYS AND NURTURING GIRLS Many teen girls have explicit biases toward other girls when it comes to powerful, high status professions. Explicit and implicit biases are very different beasts. Implicit biases are unconscious and typically automatic and people are generally motivated to eradicate them. A teen girl who wholeheartedly believes that women are just as capable business leaders as men will be distressed to discover that she holds an implicit bias against women business leaders and will be motivated to learn how to handle this bias. Explicit biases, on the other hand, reflect what people overtly believe to be true. Some teen girls and boys, for example, simply believe that males are better political leaders than females.10

Many girls in our survey expressed explicit biases toward females as political leaders. Girls didn’t express explicit biases toward other girls when it comes to leadership in general. When asked directly on our survey whether boys or girls are better leaders, girls are, in fact, more likely to report that girls are better leaders. Girls are also just as likely as boys to report that they anticipate that they will “be effective leaders as adults.” Girls reported, too, that they are just as smart as boys and can handle pressure as well as boys.

Yet when asked explicitly who they prefer as political leaders, 23% of girls preferred males while only 8% of girls preferred females, with 69% of girls reporting no preference. Girls expressed no significant preference for males or females as business leaders.

WHO MAKES BETTER POLITICAL LEADERS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%


Neither

Males

Females

Neither

Males

Females

WHO MAKES BETTER CHILDCARE LEADERS

Neither

Females

FemalesFemales50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%


Males

Neither

Males

Neither

Girls were more likely to view females as better leaders than males in traditionally female professions, such as child care directors, health care directors and art directors. Fully 49% of girls saw girls as more capable child care directors while only three girls (which rounds to 0%) reported that males were better child care directors.

Boys were more likely to report both that males were better leaders overall and in powerful professions. Forty percent of boys preferred male to female political leaders and only 4% preferred female political leaders with 56% expressing no preference. That a significantly higher percentage of both boys and girls prefer male political leaders can clearly matter a great deal in political elections at every level, which are often won by small margins.

10. This data is based on 2 of our surveys combined (about 2,600 students).

People become leaders by internalizing a leadership identity and developing a

sense of purpose.• An absence of affirmation, however, diminishes

self-confidence and discourages him or her from seeking developmental opportunities or experimenting.

• Leadership identity, which begins as a tentative, peripheral aspect of the self, eventually withers away, along with opportunities to grow through new assignments and real achievements.

• Over time, an aspiring leader acquires a reputation as having—or not having—high potential.

• Stereotypically male characteristics—independence, aggression, competitiveness, rationality, dominance, objectivity— all correlate with current expectations of leadership (Crites et al., 2015).

What Is Second-Generation Gender Bias?

• Women are not deliberately excluded from leadership.• But subtle and often invisible barriers for women that arise from

cultural assumptions and organizational structures, practices, and patterns of interaction that inadvertently benefit men while putting women at a disadvantage.

• Among them are:• A paucity of role models for women.

• Gendered career paths and gendered work.– entrenched organizational structures and work practices designed to fit

men’s lives (rotation to sales or operations, international outpost)– undervalue behind-the-scenes work (building a team, avoiding a crisis),

which women are more likely to do, while rewarding heroic work, which is most often done by men.

What Is Second-Generation Gender Bias?

• Women’s lack of access to networks and sponsors.– lack of access to influential colleagues. men in positions of power tend to

direct developmental opportunities to junior men.

• Double binds.– In most cultures masculinity and leadership are closely linked: The ideal

leader, like the ideal man, is decisive, assertive, and independent. – In contrast, women are expected to be nice, caretaking, and unselfish.

The mismatch between conventionally feminine qualities and the qualities thought necessary for leadership puts female leaders in a double bind.

– Numerous studies have shown that women who excel in traditionally male domains are viewed as competent but less likable than their male counterparts. Behaviors that suggest self-confidence or assertiveness in men often appear arrogant or abrasive in women.

– Meanwhile, women in positions of authority who enact a conventionally feminine style may be liked but are not respected. They are deemed too emotional to make tough decisions and too soft to be strong leaders.

5AAUW

Leaders, by definition, need followers, as Barbara Kellerman discusses in her landmark book, Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Chang-ing Leaders (2008). The power of a leader emanates from the willingness of a group of people to follow. Leadership can be used wisely or foolishly; it is not inherently good.

This report focuses on “positional leaders,” that is, people who occupy positions of power that are recognized and rewarded in observable ways. This focus, however, does not suggest that other forms of leadership are less important, simply that they are more difficult to measure.

LEADERSHIP AND MASCULINITYDespite stereotypes about macho leaders, leadership is not inherently mas-culine. Because white men have held most leadership positions in society for so long, the concept of leadership has been infused with stereotypically masculine traits: aggression, decisiveness, willingness to engage in conflict, strength, and so on. These traits are not uniquely available to white men, of course, nor are they predominant personality traits in all men. Indeed, researchers have explored the essential ingredients of leadership and found no gender differences in leadership effectiveness (Hyde, 2014).

The question of whether women and men have different approaches to leadership has been the subject of numerous studies and books. Women can and do use typically male leadership styles. For example, medical emergen-cies call for quick, coordinated action that requires decisive, authoritative leadership. A recent study of medical residents found that both men and women use this form of leadership effectively—although women are more likely to apologize to their colleagues for abrupt behavior after the event (Kolehmainen et al., 2014). Researchers have also found that women tend to adopt a transformational leadership style, which motivates followers through charisma, intellectual stimulation, and consideration of the individual (Bass & Riggio, 2006, as cited in Matsa & Miller, 2013).

Race, ethnicity, age, income, health, and sexual orientation all affect women’s leadership opportunities, and these factors can add up to dramati-cally different experiences among different groups of women. Not only do

6 Barriers and Bias

women of color confront race and ethnic discrimination that white women do not face, they also experience gender bias differently than white women do—and they experience racial bias differently than do the men in their racial or ethnic group (J. Williams et al., 2014). Scholars use the term “inter-sectionality” to describe this phenomenon.

WOMEN LEADERS ACROSS TIMEWomen have been leaders throughout history. From the pharaohs of Egypt to the queens of England, women rulers are found in nearly every culture and time period. Yet, in almost all circumstances, male leaders greatly out-number female leaders. Moreover, customs and laws against female leader-ship can be found throughout history, most notably in every major religion (Christ, 2014).

Women have served as leaders in social movements; for example, prominent women such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman campaigned fear-lessly for the liberation of African Americans (Ngunjiri et al., 2012). In the early 1900s, Native American women led their own women’s clubs to learn subjects that they had been denied access to because of their gender and ethnicity (Tetzloff, 2007). More recently, women have led efforts to improve sanitation and health care, develop public education, establish public librar-ies, and create a social welfare system. They have led social change in such diverse settings as the peace movement, consumer unions, education reform (Keohane, 2012), and the civil rights movement (Barnett, 1993). Although often invisible to the larger society, women have helped build important institutions through their volunteer leadership, which in turn created pathways for women’s leadership in the paid sector. In other words, female leadership is nothing new.

BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT LEADERSAs noted, women are making some headway in leadership positions, but parity remains elusive, with women currently accounting for fewer than 5 percent of CEOs in S&P 500 companies (Catalyst, 2015a). At the staff level, women’s representation is slightly better, but the gaps remain large. In the private sector, white men, and to a lesser extent Asian men, are overrep-

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WHAT EXPLAINS THE GENDER

LEADERSHIP GAP?

Why is there still a dearth of women leaders in the United States? Are there

not enough qualified candidates? Is there still discrimination against women leaders? Are women simply choosing to prioritize family over career?

The question can be posed another, equally important way: Why are men

overrepresented in leadership roles? Are they not qualified for or interested in other kinds of work? Is there still discrimination against men who are not

leaders? Are men simply choosing to prioritize career over family?

Personal choices are never made in a vacuum. Organizational, cultural,

economic, and policy barriers shape both men’s and women’s choices and

opportunities. Women’s underrepresentation in leadership has been framed

as a deficit in which something is holding women back from becoming leaders. Initially described as a glass ceiling—the symbolic wall women hit

at mid-management levels—barriers to women’s advancement can also be

thought of as a labyrinth. Alice Eagly and Linda Carli (2007) proposed this

concept to describe how, all along the way, women confront distinct barriers

that stymie or derail their progress.

Regardless of metaphor, one thing is clear: Women are not simply denied

top leadership opportunities at the culmination of a long career. Rather,

16 Barriers and Bias

those opportunities disappear at various points along the way. So what, exactly, is happening? And, meanwhile, what is happening to men that results in an overrepresentation of male leadership?

THE PIPELINE PROBLEMIn terms of qualifications, the pipeline for women leaders has expanded significantly over the last half century. Women now earn the majority of university degrees at every level except for professional degrees. In 2012–13, women attending U.S. universities earned more bachelor’s degrees, more master’s degrees, and slightly more doctoral degrees than men earned, a trend that is forecast to continue for the foreseeable future (U.S. Department of Education, 2014). Dramatic changes in women’s educational attainment and workforce participation have given millions of women the background and skills they need to become leaders—taking on roles that were once reserved for men and providing organizations with a larger and more diverse pool of potential leaders. In other words, qualified and ambitious women are not in short supply.

Further, many of these women are experienced professionals with long tenures in the workforce, although women are still somewhat less likely to be in the workforce than men are (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015b). Among the Silent Generation (born 1930–45) and early Baby Boomers (born 1946–55), women’s workforce participation was low during their prime parenting years and only reached a peak once those women were 45–50 years old. Subsequent generations—late Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y—have been more likely to work through their prime parenting years (Hegewisch et al., 2015). These generations of women will have longer job tenures than earlier generations of women, more closely resembling the careers of men.

PERSISTENT SEX DISCRIMINATIONSome bias against women is subtle, but overt—and illegal—discrimination against women in the workplace remains an issue. Companies sometimes still unguardedly state a gender preference for some positions—such as a

Hostile work environments are a form of discrimination that can shape careers.

Women leaders are still perceived as masculine and are sometimes negatively stereotyped as “lesbians.”

“Microaggressions” to describe small mean-spirited acts, such as exclusion and low-level verbal harassment.

Many women’s experiences in business, education, and politics are profoundly affected by sexual harassment.


The gender imbalance in leadership is both a women’s issue and a men’s

issue. Being a leader is not inherently valuable or desirable. Leadership roles

can be time consuming and often require great responsibility, which can

cause a great deal of stress and leave little room for other priorities. Just as the status quo is holding women back from leadership roles, it is holding

men back from embracing caretaking and support roles.

LACK OF EFFECTIVE NETWORKS AND MENTORSAccess to influential networks is critical to moving up the leadership hierar-chy. Some studies have found that the social capital gained from networking

with influential leaders is even more important for advancement than job performance (Eagly & Carli, 2007; Hewlett et al., 2010). Research suggests that, although women and men are equally likely to have mentors, women

may benefit less than men from this arrangement, especially in the areas of salary and promotions. More recently, scholars have focused on sponsor-

ship, a form of mentorship in which sponsors share both status and oppor-

tunity. For example, sponsors can co-author articles, provide key contacts,

share important meeting opportunities, and actively seek out future career

opportunities. This influential and specific professional relationship has been shown to be more effective than traditional mentorship (Catalyst, 2011).

Women of color aspiring to leadership positions face unique challenges in

finding a sponsor. Compared with white men, women and men of color have limited access to social networks that can provide information about

jobs, promotions, professional advice, resources, and expertise. In addition,

the lives of women of color outside of work are less likely to overlap with

those of influential managers, who tend to be white. White women are more likely to live in the same neighborhoods, send their children to the same

schools, and participate in the same community organizations as the power-

ful men in their workplace. For women of color, networking requires more

effort.

Women are generally considered to have strong communication skills, so it

might seem that they would excel in networking. But networking in the busi-

ness world often occurs around activities that are typically considered “mas-

Access to influential networks is critical to moving up the leadership hierarchy. Some studies have found that the social capital gained from networking with influential leaders is even more important for advancement than job performance (Eagly & Carli, 2007; Hewlett et al., 2010).

More recently, scholars have focused on sponsorship, a form of mentorship in which sponsors share both status and opportunity.

15AAUW


LEADERSHIP GAP?
















The women reported a lack of understanding and support from family and colleagues, as well as different expectations for themselves and their male peers.


One study found that gendered coverage of women presidential candidates often trivializes their candidacies (Falk, 2010). Others have explored the relationship between the tone and content of media coverage of a woman senator and voters’ ratings of her warmth and competence (Bligh et al., 2012). Positive media coverage of a woman senator was associated with higher ratings on both competence and warmth. Together, these studies sug-gest that media bias affects perceptions of women candidates and hence the outcome of their races.

Some behavior that does not rise to the level of illegal discrimination nev-ertheless harms women. Just as small acts of kindness can improve group morale, small acts of hostility can contribute to a hostile environment. Aca-demics have coined the term “microaggressions” to describe small mean-spirited acts, such as exclusion and low-level verbal harassment. Sometimes seemingly benign comments can take a toll on women’s advancement. In one study, top female college and university leaders cited discouragement, sabotage, and unfair expectations as barriers to leadership. The women reported a lack of understanding and support from family and colleagues, as well as different expectations for themselves and their male peers. For example, women leaders felt pressured to attend public functions more often than men. They also noted that certain roles are not reversible; for example, the “president’s husband” is often not an acceptable stand-in at an event, whereas the “president’s wife” is (Oguntoyinbo, 2014).

CAREGIVING AND WOMEN’S “CHOICES”Balancing work and family responsibilities is one of the most challenging obstacles for women seeking leadership positions (Eagly & Carli, 2007; Sandberg, 2013), and it can be especially daunting for the millions of work-ing women raising children on their own (Hess & Kelly, 2015). Women are usually the primary (if not the only) parent caring for children and other family members during their peak years in the workforce. They are more likely than men to work irregularly and spend time out of the workforce (Rose & Hartmann, 2008), and they are more likely to work part time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). They also take more time off for fam-ily commitments than men do (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015c). Moreover, women (and men) may feel deeply conflicted about leaving their Balancing work and family responsibilities is one of the

most challenging obstacles for women seeking leadership positions (Eagly & Carli, 2007; Sandberg, 2013), and it can be especially daunting for the millions of working women raising children on their own (Hess & Kelly, 2015). Women are usually the primary (if not the only) parent caring for children and other family members during their peak years in the workforce.

Differences in women’s and men’s earnings also contribute to the leadership gap.

15AAUW


LEADERSHIP GAP?
















The gender imbalance in leadership is both a women’s issue and a men’s issue. Being a leader is not inherently valuable or desirable. Leadership roles can be time consuming and often require great responsibility, which can cause a great deal of stress and leave little room for other priorities. Just as the status quo is holding women back from leadership roles, it is holding men back from embracing caretaking and support roles.

15AAUW


LEADERSHIP GAP?
















Stereotypes and bias affect how we see ourselves, as well as how we see others.• For example, there is a self-confidence gap between women and

men (Schuh et al., 2014). • Whereas men are socialized to be confident, assertive, and self-

promoting, cultural attitudes toward women as leaders continue to suggest to women that it is often inappropriate or undesirable to possess those characteristics (Enloe, 2004; Flammang, 1997).

• Women’s tendency to diminish and undervalue their professional skills and achievements is in place by adolescence.

• At the same time, male students overestimate their skills and female students underestimate theirs relative to objective indicators of competence (Pajares & Schunk, 2001; Wigeld et al., 1996).

• In other words, both men and women miss the mark when it comes to self-evaluation.

• These kinds of errors can result in lost opportunities, wasted time, and poor choices.

Stereotype Threat • Stereotype threat arises when people become

aware that they are negatively stereotyped in their current role or activity.

• Negative stereotypes affect individuals’ performance when they attempt difficult tasks in the domains in which they are negatively stereotyped (Logel et al., 2012; Hoyt et al., 2010).

• Stereotype threat can reduce working memory and, because of its relationship with stress, anxiety, and disengagement, can lead to a wide variety of negative attitudes and behaviors (Hoyt & Blascovich, 2010).

• If women are assertive, it can be seen as aggressive. "It's a Catch-22," says Sonya Rhodes, Ph.D., a psychotherapist and author of new book "The Alpha Woman Meets Her Match." "Whatever women do at work, they have to do it nicely. But the more you back off, the more they don't take you seriously." Women have to walk a thin line between being too nice and too forceful.

• When women are successful, they're often called "bitchy" and seen as less likable.In one well-known 2003 study, business students were given two identical resumes, one using the name Heidi and the other Howard. "Howard was judged as terrifically competent, but Heidi was judged as bitchy," says Rivers. When the experiment was repeated 10 years later, the woman was found to be slightly more likable but less trustworthy than the man.

• Women are more likely to get lower initial offers. In another study using identical resumes, female scientists were offered a starting salary of $26,500, and men were offered $30,200. "Hiring managers will offer a slightly lower salary because they think they can get away with it," says Rhodes. And because women are often so grateful to get the position, she says they are less likely to negotiate the offer, which compounds and perpetuates the cycle of lower pay.

• Women are less likely to get credit in group projects. When men and women work together, the men are more likely to get the credit — even if she did the bulk of the work and he's junior, says Rivers. It may be a combination of men being assumed more competent andwomen not actively taking credit for their work. "Women undersell themselves, and people undersell women," adds Rhodes.

• Women are assumed to be incompetent until they prove themselves. As Linda Hudson, former CEO of security and defense company BAE Systems, recently told the authors of "The Confidence Code": "I think the environment is such that even in the position I am now, everyone's first impression is that I'm not qualified to do the job. When a man walks into a room, they're assumed to be competent until they prove otherwise." Women, however, are automatically assumed to be incompetent.

• Women get promoted on performance, and men get promoted on potential. Research shows that women must prove that they are capable of succeeding in a role before they are promoted into it, whereas men may be promoted on their perceived potential. That means men often move up faster in organizations. "When a men walks in the door, he gets the benefit of male stereotypes," says Rivers.

• Talkative men are seen as competent, and talkative women as incompetent. A study comparing the volubility of powerful men and women found that male leaders talk more— and with good reason. When men and women talked the same amount, she was seen as significantly less competent and less suited to leadership.

Unconscious bias• When women show anger, they are often judged as too

emotional. Research shows that both men and women think women should be nice and kind and nurturing, says Rivers, and that men should be strong. When men show anger it looks like strength, but when women do the same, they are perceived as too emotional and out of control. "These stereotypes are deeply ingrained," she says.

• Men get a fatherhood bonus, and women a motherhood penalty. While employers believe men will put more effort into succeeding at work once they become fathers, they believe women will direct more effort towards their kids. "The minute women become mothers, the attitude towards them changes," Rivers says. "When women become mothers, they suffer financially. Women make significantly less over a lifetime."

Unconscious bias• Women are often interrupted or ignored in meetings. Especially when there are only

one or two women around the table, their voices can easily go unheard. Rhodes says it's very common that others may interrupt them, finish their sentences, or not give them the focus and subtle encouragement to continue. More frustrating is when a woman offers her idea, and no one responds. Then, a few minutes later, a man in the room presents the same idea, and only then is it heard and received well. When Beth Brooke, global vice chair at Ernst & Young, experienced this at a board meeting, she pulled the leader aside to mention it, and he hadn't even noticed that it happened.

• When speaking in public, women have to take command of a room. Women presenters at male-dominated events have a harder time getting the attention of the room, says Rhodes. For example, one of her clients, a woman in her late 20s who works for a financial company, says when she stands up to give a presentation, she can't get the guys to settle down. "Women don't command that kind of attention," she says. "They have to take control."

• Women may not be invited to social events. Getting together to drink, watch the game, or play sports is typically how social bonds are formed at the office and when valuable information, like who's position might be opening up or how to get in the graces of a certain boss, is shared. When women aren't included in these events, says Rhodes, it can marginalize them and limit their knowledge.

Unconscious bias• Women are judged more harshly on their

appearance.• In a major survey conducted by the Center

for Talent Innovation and detailed in the book "Executive Presence," senior executives listed twice as many appearance blunders committed by women than men. Additionally, women were judged more harshly. For example, a woman might be seen as lacking leadership skills if she's overweight, while a man receives the same judgment if obese.

Institute of Leadership & Management

Ambition and gender at work

The overall picture from female managers is one of a relative lack of career ambition or expectation, coupled

with lower levels of confidence and self-esteem.

Lower ambitions and expectations

• In summary, the research reveals that women managers are impeded in their careers by lower ambitions and expectations. Compared to their male counterparts, they tend to lack self-belief and confidence – which leads to a cautious approach to career opportunities – and follow a less straightforward career path. The higher expectationsand increased confidence ofmale managers propel them into management roles on average three years earlier than women.

• We found that at the outset of their career women have less clarity of career direction than men, and lower career ambitions.



The ambition gap• The career ambitions of women managers

also lag behind those of men. • In general, women set their sights lower

than men do, and are more likely to limit their ambitions to more junior ranks of management.

• Fewer women than men expect to reach a general manager or director level by the end of their careers. Institute of Leadership

& Management


08 Ambition and gender at work

are childless, compared to 28% of men, shows the difficult choice facing female managers who aspire to senior positions. The dominant, hierarchical model of a management career rewards time served and ‘anytime, anywhere’ availability. In many organisations, women managers must choose between adopting a typical male breadwinner approach or opting out of the leadership race.

Taking charge While women display little expectation of becoming senior managers later in their careers, they are more likely than men to aspire to run their own businesses. Younger women starting out on the career ladder are the most entrepreneurially ambitious of all, with 24% of women under 30 expecting to start their own business within 10 years.

This suggests women increasingly see enterprise as offering greater opportunities than employment, perhaps in terms of income but certainly in terms of employment flexibility. But what entrepreneurship gains, organisations lose. There is a real risk for employers that many highly talented women will opt out of a leadership career in favour of starting a business.

High expectationsof leadership and management role

Low or no expectationsof leadership and management role

Percentage

Figure 6: Levels of confidence and expectations of reaching a leadership or management levelWhen you started work, did you expect to take on a management or leadership role?

0 20 40 60

Higher-confidence women

Key Higher-confidence men

Lower-confidence women

Lower-confidence men

59.0

18.0

67.0

11.0

30.0

38.0

37.0

24.0

0.70.5

I have a high level of personal confidence and rarely feel any self-doubt

I have quite a high level of personal confidence, but occasionally have a few doubts about myself

Percentage

Figure 5: ConfidenceHow best would you describe your own levelof personal confidence?

0 20 40

MenKey Women

I feel fairly self-confident but do suffer doubts about myself as well

I do tend to lack self-confidence and can feel real doubts about myself

I really lack self-confidence and have severe doubts about myself

15.7

53.6

25.3

4.7

4.7

45.1

40.9

8.8

The research findings

24%of women under 30 expect to start their own business within 10 years



Female managers also have lower career confidence.

• Men are more confident across all age groups, with 70% of men having high or quite high levels of self-confidence, compared to 50% of women.

• Half of women managers admit to feelings of self-doubt, but only 31% of men do.

• We also found that women with low confidence have lower expectations of reaching a leadership and management role and are actually less likely to achieve their career ambitions.

• This lack of confidence is evident in women’s more cautious approach to applying for jobs or promotions. Institute of Leadership

& Management


08 Ambition and gender at work

are childless, compared to 28% of men, shows the difficult choice facing female managers who aspire to senior positions. The dominant, hierarchical model of a management career rewards time served and ‘anytime, anywhere’ availability. In many organisations, women managers must choose between adopting a typical male breadwinner approach or opting out of the leadership race.

Taking charge While women display little expectation of becoming senior managers later in their careers, they are more likely than men to aspire to run their own businesses. Younger women starting out on the career ladder are the most entrepreneurially ambitious of all, with 24% of women under 30 expecting to start their own business within 10 years.

This suggests women increasingly see enterprise as offering greater opportunities than employment, perhaps in terms of income but certainly in terms of employment flexibility. But what entrepreneurship gains, organisations lose. There is a real risk for employers that many highly talented women will opt out of a leadership career in favour of starting a business.

High expectationsof leadership and management role

Low or no expectationsof leadership and management role

Percentage

Figure 6: Levels of confidence and expectations of reaching a leadership or management levelWhen you started work, did you expect to take on a management or leadership role?

0 20 40 60

Higher-confidence women

Key Higher-confidence men

Lower-confidence women

Lower-confidence men

59.0

18.0

67.0

11.0

30.0

38.0

37.0

24.0

0.70.5

I have a high level of personal confidence and rarely feel any self-doubt

I have quite a high level of personal confidence, but occasionally have a few doubts about myself

Percentage

Figure 5: ConfidenceHow best would you describe your own levelof personal confidence?

0 20 40

MenKey Women

I feel fairly self-confident but do suffer doubts about myself as well

I do tend to lack self-confidence and can feel real doubts about myself

I really lack self-confidence and have severe doubts about myself

15.7

53.6

25.3

4.7

4.7

45.1

40.9

8.8

The research findings

24%of women under 30 expect to start their own business within 10 years



Career leaves• Women are also more likely than men to

voluntarily step off the career ladder, impeding their progress: – 42% had taken statutory maternity leave, and

21% had left work to care for children; – only 9% of men had taken paternity leave, and

just 2% had left work to care for children.



Women in the Workplace 2016

A closer look at the corporate pipeline Based on employee pipeline data from 132 companies, two

broad themes emerge this year: ( 1 ) On average, women

are promoted and hired at lower rates than men, so far

fewer women become senior leaders. (2) At more senior

levels, we see women shift from line to staff roles, so very

few end up on the path to becoming CEO.

4 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE


Compared to women, almost twice as many men are hired from the outside as directors—and more than three times as many are hired as SVPs.

Women are less likely to be promoted to manager, so fewer end up on the path to leadership

Promotion rates for women lag behind those of men, and the disparity is

largest at the first step up to manager—for every 100 women promoted,

130 men are promoted. In addition, external hiring is not improving

the representation of women. At every level, companies hire fewer

women from the outside than men, and this is especially pronounced in

senior management.

However, there is reason for optimism. The percentage of women

being promoted into middle and senior management is higher than

the percentage of women currently at those levels. If this pattern holds

over time, the representation of mid- and senior-level women will

slowly increase.

GAP IN RATE OF FIRST PROMOTIONS

FOR EVERY 100 WOMEN PROMOTED TO MANAGER, 130 MEN ARE PROMOTED

WOMEN MEN

6 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE


7 Includes respondents who feel this “often” or “very often” applies to them. 8 Includes respondents who reported they have received this opportunity in the past two years. 9 Includes respondents who “agree” or “strongly agree” with this statement.

11 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES

By the numbers: the uneven playing field

WOMEN ARE SUBTLY DISADVANTAGED IN MANY OF THEIR DAILY INTERACTIONS . . .

Are able to participate meaningfully in meetings7

67% 74%

Have recently gotten a challenging assignment8

62% 68%

49% 54%

Are turned to for input on important decisions7

56% 63%Believe their contributions are

appropriately valued7

54%

44%

The best opportunities go to the most deserving

employees9

They have the same opportunity for growth as

their peers9

Their gender will make it harder to get a raise, promotion, or

chance to get ahead

% OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO THINK . . .

61%

54%

12%

33%

. . . AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO QUESTION THE FAIRNESS OF THE WORKPLACE

WOMEN MEN


Despite lobbying for promotions as often as men, women on average are less likely to be promoted.

Women are negotiating as often as men—but face pushback when they do

The good news is that women are negotiating for promotions and

raises as often as men, and it appears to be paying off. For example,

women who lobby for a promotion are 54 percent more likely to report

getting one than women who don’t.

The bad news is that women who negotiate10 are disproportionately

penalized for it. They are 30 percent more likely than men who

negotiate to receive feedback that they are “intimidating,” “too

aggressive,” or “bossy” and 67 percent more likely than women who

don’t negotiate to receive the same negative feedback. Moreover,

despite lobbying for promotions at similar rates, women are on average

less likely to be promoted than men.

HOW OFTEN WOMEN AND MEN NEGOTIATE—AND THE RESULTING PUSHBACK11 WOMEN MEN

% OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO . . .

39%36%

Lobbied for a promotion or new

assignment12

29%27%

Asked for an increase in compensation12

30

23

“BOSSY” “AGGRESSIVE”

“INTIMIDATING”

30%

23%

% OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO NEGOTIATED AND RECEIVED FEEDBACK THAT THEY WERE . . .

10 Women who say they lobbied for a promotion or an increase in their compensation in the last two years. 11 Based on employees’ self-reported experiences. 12 In the past 2 years.



Most employees want to be promoted, but far fewer aspire to very senior leadership. This gap is particularly marked for women. Only 40 percent of women are interested in becoming top executives, compared to 56 percent of men.

Women and men worry equally about balancing work and family—the issue of concern most cited by both groups—and about company politics. However, women with and without children are far more likely to say they don’t want the pressure, suggesting they expect to face more challenges or are doing a different cost-benefit analysis.

Women anticipate a steeper path to the top. Women who aspire to become a top executive are less likely to think they’ll get there than men with the same aspiration—and more likely to worry they won’t be able to manage work and family commitments.

Women and men also see many of the same benefits of becoming a top executive, including higher compensation and more opportunities to mentor, with one important exception: men see greater potential to impact the business. This could be rooted in the different experiences women and men are having in the workplace. Women may not think their ideas and contributions carry the same weight as men’s.

Women are less interested in becoming top executives—and see the pros and cons of senior leadership differently from men

GAP IN LEADERSHIP AMBITION WOMEN MEN

% OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO WANT TO BE A TOP EXECUTIVE AND BELIEVE IT’S

LIKELY THEY’LL BECOME ONE

32%

24%

% OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO WANT TO . . .

Get promoted to the next level Become a top executive

80%

74%

56%

40%

Only 43% of women think becoming a top executive will significantly improve their ability to impact the business, compared to 51% of men.



Men will also benefit from a broader definition of leadership

Creating a more inclusive workplace is important for women and men.

Only about half of men say their companies embrace diverse leadership

styles, and the reasons men point to as barriers to advancement are

telling. Twenty-one percent of men don’t want to be a top executive

because it’s not consistent with who they are as a person, while almost

a third of men who aspire to reach the top don’t think they’ll make it

because they lack “the typical style of a top executive.”

WHY WOMEN AND MEN DON’T WANT TO BE A TOP EXECUTIVE WOMEN MEN

I wouldn’t be able to balance family and work commitments

Too much politics

I am not interested in that type of work

I don’t want the pressure

Not enough benefits for the personal costs

It’s not consistent with who I am

I’m not confident that I would be successful

42%

42%

39%

40%

35%

37%

32%

21%

21%

21%

15%

21%

13%

13%




People who do more work at home are less interested in becoming top executives

At every stage in their careers, women do more

housework and child care than men—and there appears to

be a link between the amount of work people do at home

and their leadership ambition. While 43 percent of women

who share responsibilities evenly with their partner aspire

to become top executives, only 34 percent of women

who do a majority of housework and child care have the

same aspiration. This trend holds true for men: the more

work they do at home, the less interested they are in very

senior leadership.

Women in senior management are seven times more likely than men at the same level to say they do more than half of the housework.


People who do more work at home are less interested in becoming top executives

At every stage in their careers, women do more

housework and child care than men—and there appears to

be a link between the amount of work people do at home

and their leadership ambition. While 43 percent of women

who share responsibilities evenly with their partner aspire

to become top executives, only 34 percent of women

who do a majority of housework and child care have the

same aspiration. This trend holds true for men: the more

work they do at home, the less interested they are in very

senior leadership.

Women in senior management are seven times more likely than men at the same level to say they do more than half of the housework.


By the numbers: the challenges companies face

Means placing a lower priority on individual performance

Means favoritism to some people over others

Other more pressing issues require attention

Diversity efforts highlight differences, not commonalities

I don’t see the value

44%

53%

27%

44%

28%

24%

20%

23%

20%

18%

TOP 5 REASONS WHY EMPLOYEES DON’T PRIORITIZE GENDER DIVERSITY% OF EMPLOYEES WHO THINK GENDER DIVERSITY

IS AN IMPORTANT PERSONAL PRIORITY

48%

ENTRY LEVEL

54%

MIDDLE MANAGEMENT

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

62%

ALL EMPLOYEES

52%

20 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ROAD MAP TO GENDER EQUALITY

COMPANIES ARE STRUGGLING TO PUT THEIR COMMITMENT INTO PRACTICE . . . WOMEN MEN

% OF EMPLOYEES WHO OFTEN OR ALMOST ALWAYS OBSERVE PRACTICES TO IMPROVE GENDER DIVERSITY

Senior leaders communicate the

importance of gender diversity

Senior leaders encourage candid, open dialogue on gender diversity

Senior leaders are held accountable

for improving gender diversity

Progress on gender diversity is measured

and shared across the company

Managers are recognized for

making progress on gender diversity

24%

38%

24%34%

29%36%

18%26%

7%12%

50%

% OF EMPLOYEES WHO OFTEN OR ALMOST ALWAYS SEE PRACTICES INTENDED TO IMPROVE GENDER DIVERSITY

. . . AND MANY EMPLOYEES ARE NOT ON BOARD WOMEN MEN

100%



Ensure that hiring, promotions, and reviews are fair

2.

Most companies report they have policies in place to support unbiased hiring, promotions, and performance reviews, but those policies are not always comprehensive or implemented effectively.

While 73 percent of companies actively recruit candidates from underrepresented groups, only 46 percent require a diverse slate of candidates for open positions. Even fewer companies require diverse slates for internal promotions. There are also signs of breakdowns in performance reviews: 93 percent of companies report they use clear and consistently applied criteria to evaluate performance, but only 57 percent of employees report managers do this in practice.

Companies should review their policies for hiring, promotions, and performance reviews to make sure there aren’t any gaps in these end-to-end processes and look for opportunities to further reduce bias and foster diversity. For example, blind résumé reviews are a relatively simple way to minimize bias, yet only 4 percent of companies say they do this.

Sourcing the right people is a critical first step in both hiring and promotions, yet fewer than half of companies require diverse slates of candidates.

Companies also need better systems to ensure their policies are working. Currently, only 56 percent of companies review job descriptions for biased language, and fewer than 10 percent of employees say that personnel decisions are regularly evaluated for gender bias.

POLICIES THAT COMPANIES HAVE IN PLACE COMPANIES EMPLOYEES

91%

56%

Clear and consistently applied criteria for evaluating candidates

73%

46%

16%

93%

37%

58%

76%

Review of job descriptions for biased language

Dedicated outreach to underrepresented groups

Mandated slates of diverse candidates for new hires

Clear and consistently applied criteria for performance reviews

Mandated slates of diverse candidates for internal positions

Third-party review of performance feedback to ensure fairness

Formal process for dispute resolution in the review process

HIRING POLICIES

PERFORMANCE REVIEW POLICIES

COMPANIES THAT SAY THEY USE CLEAR CRITERIA VS. EMPLOYEES

WHO SEE THEM IN PRACTICE15

93%

57%

% OF COMPANIES WITH POLICIES IN PLACE

15 Includes companies that report they use clear and consistently applied criteria for performance reviews versus employees who report that managers often or almost always evaluate employee performance using standardized, clear, and objective metrics.


27% of employees say they rely on themselves for information on improving gender diversity.


Even if companies have all the right policies in place, it’s only part of the

solution. Employees need to understand what steps they can take to

get to equality, yet they clearly need more guidance: only 28 percent of

entry-level employees and 51 percent of middle managers to managers

say they know what to do to improve gender diversity in their company.

Bias training is particularly important. Although almost 100 percent

of companies offer anti-harassment/discrimination training, far fewer

offer employees bias training for hiring (67 percent) and performance

reviews (56 percent). When employees don’t understand how bias

works, they are less likely to make fair and accurate decisions and push

back on bias when they see it. As evidence of this, only 24 percent of

employees report that managers regularly challenge gender-biased

language and behavior.

Invest in more employee training

A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO A LACK OF ACTION

% OF EMPLOYEES WHO SAY THEY SEE MANAGERS CHALLENGE GENDER-BIASED LANGUAGE OR BEHAVIOR16

24%

% OF MANAGERS WHO SAY THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO TO IMPROVE GENDER DIVERSITY

51%

3.

16 Based on employees who report that managers often or almost always challenge gender-biased language or behavior.

MANAGERS EMPLOYEESWomen in the Workplace 2016

Although 91% of companies track gender representation by level, only 58% track salary differences by gender.


Companies need to place more emphasis on accountability. Only

40 percent of companies report that they hold their senior leaders

accountable for performance against gender diversity metrics, and

employees are even less likely to see this in practice: only 32 percent

of employees report that senior leaders are regularly held accountable,

and 9 percent report that managers are recognized for progress on

gender diversity.

Although most companies track metrics on women’s representation,

targets are far less common. Only 44 percent of companies set pipeline

targets, and even fewer set targets for external hiring and promotions.

And targets matter—it is easier to track and make progress when a

company has clear goals in place.

Focus on accountability and results

% OF COMPANIES THAT TRACK . . .

COMPANIES THAT TRACK GENDER METRICS COMPANIES

4.

91%

79%

Gender representation by level

60%

58%

34%

Attrition by gender

Gender representation at promotion rounds

Salary differences in comparable positions by gender

Bonuses in comparable positions by gender

15%Assignment of high-visibility projects by gender

72%Gender representation of external candidates for hire


Which strategies follow to get more women at the top?

Time will not solve the gender leadership gap; action will.

117 years until gender parity?Put gender on your agenda.

In its Global Gender Parity Report 2015, the World Economic Forum estimates it will take 117 years to achieve gender parity in the workplace. How can we accelerate this pace? We surveyed men and women leaders from 400 companies around the world to help illuminate the way forward and blended their recommendations with our experience to create the following accelerators.

Accommodate

work/life integration for all

Speed up company culture change with progressive corporate policy

for advancement, make role models visible and set leadership pipeline programs and targets

Make a difference through tone-at-the-top, sponsorship for promotions and education about conscious andunconscious bias

Build supportive environments

Illuminate the path to leadership

Accelerators How

© 2016 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EYG no. EX0263 ED none

Women. Fast forwardEighty years until gender parity? Pledge your support to speed up the clock.#WomenFastForward ey.com/womenfastforward

Three accelerators for women in the workplace How you can take action today:

• Visit us online at ey.com/womenfastforward

• Tweet using #WomenFastForward

• Follow the story on Flipboard

• Join the conversation on LinkedIn linkedIn.com/company/ women-fast-forward

• Visit internationalwomensday.com

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HOW DO WE CLOSE THE GENDER

LEADERSHIP GAP?

There is no magic bullet to solve the leadership gap, but this problem does not require magic. There are many commonsense steps we can take as individuals, employers, and policy makers to create significant change. Drawing from the research examined in this report, we offer the following recommendations.

INDIVIDUALSBecome a student of leadership. There are thousands of academic and popular books, journals, and webi-nars for women seeking leadership roles in business, politics, education, and a host of other fields. This report does not endorse any particular approach; instead, we recommend that women immerse themselves in the leadership literature most relevant to their own career paths.

Seek evidence-based leadership training. Focused, interactive training can be empowering when implemented well. For example, AAUW’s Elect Her program trains college women to run for office on campus and beyond. AAUW also holds an annual National Con-ference for College Women Student Leaders, which brings together nearly 1,000 women to hone their leadership skills, learn about public policy issues facing women today, participate in a career and graduate school fair, and network with the AAUW community.

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Seek out employers that promote women’s leadership. Before you join a company, take a look around: Do you see women and people of color in leadership roles? Blazing a trail is a possibility, but it can be challenging.

Look for volunteer opportunities that include leadership skill development. This report focuses on positional leadership, but there are many types of leadership. Volunteer leaders have been involved in building schools, librar-ies, and hospitals; they have fought for civil rights and advocated for children and the poor. Volunteering can be a wonderful way to develop your leader-ship skills while helping to make a difference in the world.

EMPLOYERSOffer flexible schedules. Some jobs do require fixed times and places. But employers can change the default rules that govern offices and many other workplaces so that all employees have the flexibility to work at times and places that mesh with family caretaking responsibilities. Schedule conferences and important meet-ings during core working hours to accommodate employees’ personal needs.

Focus on productivity, not face time. The notion that “face time” (arriving at work early and leaving late) and frequent travel will prime employees to become effective leaders is simply misplaced. When managers focus on and recognize employees’ contribu-tions rather than watching the clock, productivity and morale may improve.

Offer evidence-based diversity training. Diversity training programs should reflect best practices. While there are many programs available, employers should look for those that take into account the latest evidence-based findings about bias and stereotypes.

Actively encourage sponsorship programs. While mentoring programs can be useful, sponsorship involves the sharing of credibility and standing in the field.

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LEADERSHIP GAP?





Ask for more. Learn and practice negotiation skills to ensure that salaries and benefits start fair and stay fair. AAUW Start Smart and AAUW Work Smart salary nego-

tiation workshops teach women effective techniques to negotiate their salary and benefits at different stages of their careers.

Find a sponsor or become one. Investing in the next generation of leaders takes time and effort. Be on the lookout for opportunities to learn from people in leadership positions, and

as you advance in your field, make it your responsibility to invest in future leaders.

Explore and address your biases. We all have implicit biases that are in conflict with our conscious beliefs. Find out about your biases and learn some practical tips for avoiding the

mental shortcuts that can lead to unfounded judgments. Visit the AAUW

website and take our gender and leadership Implicit Association Test.

Understand stereotype threat. Simply knowing about stereotype threat can help diminish its effect on you. Role models can be helpful in countering stereotypes. Encouraging a

“growth mindset” in yourself—that is, the belief that your mind is always

learning and growing—can serve as a defense against the notion of fixed capabilities, which is at the core of stereotype threat.

Set leadership goals. When women don’t meet all the qualifications for a position, they are less likely than men to pursue it. Even if you don’t want to pursue leadership

roles at this stage of your life, look ahead to opportunities that are on the

horizon.

Plan for potential career interruptions. Work-family balance can be difficult for anyone to achieve. Although women are still more likely than men to handle the housework and care-

giving, men are increasingly taking on these roles. Taking time out of the

workforce can be the right decision for both men and women.

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Seek out employers that promote women’s leadership. Before you join a company, take a look around: Do you see women and people of color in leadership roles? Blazing a trail is a possibility, but it can be challenging.

Look for volunteer opportunities that include leadership skill development. This report focuses on positional leadership, but there are many types of leadership. Volunteer leaders have been involved in building schools, librar-ies, and hospitals; they have fought for civil rights and advocated for children and the poor. Volunteering can be a wonderful way to develop your leader-ship skills while helping to make a difference in the world.

EMPLOYERSOffer flexible schedules. Some jobs do require fixed times and places. But employers can change the default rules that govern offices and many other workplaces so that all employees have the flexibility to work at times and places that mesh with family caretaking responsibilities. Schedule conferences and important meet-ings during core working hours to accommodate employees’ personal needs.

Focus on productivity, not face time. The notion that “face time” (arriving at work early and leaving late) and frequent travel will prime employees to become effective leaders is simply misplaced. When managers focus on and recognize employees’ contribu-tions rather than watching the clock, productivity and morale may improve.

Offer evidence-based diversity training. Diversity training programs should reflect best practices. While there are many programs available, employers should look for those that take into account the latest evidence-based findings about bias and stereotypes.

Actively encourage sponsorship programs. While mentoring programs can be useful, sponsorship involves the sharing of credibility and standing in the field.


Design better human resource materials. Bias affects different groups differently, and too often practices do not reflect individuals’ real experience of gender, racial, and ethnic bias. Policies and programs designed to reduce bias, such as blind review of résumés, can limit bias in crucial aspects of the hiring process.

POLICY MAKERSTackle persistent sex discrimination. The gender imbalance in leadership can only be solved by creating an equitable workplace. Enforcement agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice need adequate resources to enforce existing civil rights laws so that employers can get the technical assistance they need and employees can get meaningful access to the protections they deserve.

Strengthen pay equity laws. Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act would create incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and enforce the laws we already have. State and local policy makers can follow the lead of states like California and Massachusetts and strengthen their state’s equal pay provisions.

Increase salary transparency. The federal government is helping to fight the pay gap by making sure federal contractors do not retaliate against employees who share salary information. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor and the EEOC must finalize and implement new regulations to collect wage data by gender and race from employers. These data will provide better insight into the wage gap and discriminatory pay practices that hold women back across industries and occupations.

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Design better human resource materials. Bias affects different groups differently, and too often practices do not reflect individuals’ real experience of gender, racial, and ethnic bias. Policies and programs designed to reduce bias, such as blind review of résumés, can limit bias in crucial aspects of the hiring process.

POLICY MAKERSTackle persistent sex discrimination. The gender imbalance in leadership can only be solved by creating an equitable workplace. Enforcement agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice need adequate resources to enforce existing civil rights laws so that employers can get the technical assistance they need and employees can get meaningful access to the protections they deserve.

Strengthen pay equity laws. Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act would create incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and enforce the laws we already have. State and local policy makers can follow the lead of states like California and Massachusetts and strengthen their state’s equal pay provisions.

Increase salary transparency. The federal government is helping to fight the pay gap by making sure federal contractors do not retaliate against employees who share salary information. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor and the EEOC must finalize and implement new regulations to collect wage data by gender and race from employers. These data will provide better insight into the wage gap and discriminatory pay practices that hold women back across industries and occupations.

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Strengthen leave policies. While some employers choose to provide these protections as a benefit to some or all employees, many U.S. workers do not have guaranteed paid annual leave, paid time off for illness or family care, or paid parental leave. Without these policies, caregiving responsibilities can hinder women’s career trajectories and leadership opportunities. The Family and Medical Insur-ance Leave Act would establish paid medical and parental leave for all workers, and the Healthy Families Act would allow workers to earn paid sick days to cover temporary and minor illnesses and caregiving. State and local policy makers can also pass laws that set these standards for all workers.

Update laws to protect pregnant workers. Pregnancy should not prevent a woman from pursuing her career. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would require employers to make reasonable accommodations to protect the health of pregnant workers and ensure that they are not forced out of their jobs or denied leadership opportunities.

Support educational programs for women seeking high-wage jobs. Jobs that have been traditionally held by men tend to be in high-wage, high-growth fields. Educational programs that provide bias-free counseling and promote gender equity can encourage effective workplace culture change.

Fully enforce Title IX. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in education, including discriminatory policies in admissions, recruitment, counseling, and athletics and in address-ing the persistent sexual harassment and violence in our schools. These factors all limit women’s ability to complete their education and pursue lead-ership opportunities. The U.S. Department of Education needs adequate funding to provide technical assistance and to fully enforce the law. The High School Data Transparency Act would help schools, parents, students, and community members ensure the promise of Title IX by making infor-mation about gender and sports in high schools publicly available.

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HAVE ANY STRATEGIES ALREADY HELPED NARROW THE GENDER LEADERSHIP GAP?

Training

Implicit Association Testing

Gender Quotas and Hiring Goals

Employment Practice Reforms

Role Models

HOW DO WE CLOSE THE GENDER LEADERSHIP GAP?

Individuals

Employers

Policy Makers

RESOURCES

REFERENCES

2727

30

31

31

32

3535

37

38

40

42

Exposure to counterstereotypical role models can actually reduce the effects of stereotypical

thinking• Women’s advancement is strongly linked

to board gender diversity (Skaggs et al., 2012).

• When women are in top leadership positions, women are more likely to be promoted to leadership.

Role models and mentors• Frequent, high-quality interactions with successful female role

models have been shown to improve college women’s self-concepts of their leadership abilities and career ambitions (Asgari et al., 2012).

• Employers can benefit from raising the pro le, voice and visibility of successful women leaders across the organisation as a whole through internal communications, networking and development events, and leveraging their experience to help nurture other women managers.

• Mentoring programmes also have an important role to play in raising women managers’ aspirations and self-confidence, and driving their leadership development. Employers should look to identify successful leaders of both sexes to serve as mentors to female managers and provide advice and encouragement based on their own experience, helping them build networks and encouraging them to seize career opportunities. Institute of Leadership

& Management


Employment practice reforms• Research has shown that education alone is not

enough to remedy historical inequities in the workplace. For meaningful progress, managers must be held accountable, especially for promoting women and men of color into leader-ship positions (Duguid & Thomas-Hunt, 2015).

• Job descriptions using gender-neutral language (so as not to imply that one gender or another is better suited for a position) have also been shown to make a positive di erence (Lennon et al., 2013).

• The recommendation process is especially fraught with opportunities for bias.

Coaching confidence• Powerful way to build managers’ self-

belief, crystallise career ambitions and encourage them to take measured risks.

• Creating a safe setting—a coaching relationship, a women’s leadership program, a support group of peers—in which women can interpret these messages is critical to their leadership identity development. Institute of Leadership

& Management


Talent management• We know that women are more hesitant than men when

applying for new positions. While men are willing to take greater risks when applying for stretching jobs, women are more risk averse, preferring to apply for roles where they are satisfied they meet the job description.

• To counteract this, organisations should consider structuring their talent management systems to ensure that the most talented individuals – including women managers – are proactively identified and encouraged to apply for leadership positions.

• Open advertising for internal positions may not necessarily produce the best person for a role. Personaliseddevelopment and support programmes for these pre-selected employees can help women set more ambitious goals and stretch assignments, and support and encourage greater risk taking.



Flexible attitudes• Women are far more likely than men to leave the

career ladder in order to raise families, pursue education and tackle other interests. This often capsizes women’s careers and places them at a disadvantage when chasing senior leadership and management positions.

• An emphasis on ‘anytime, anywhere’ availability andlinear career paths is clearly not compatible with the roles many people with family demands are likely to pursue. Flexible working and work-life balance policies have a huge part to play in helping women align a more fragmented career route with senior management responsibilities. Institute of Leadership

& Management


Three actions we suggest to support women’s access to leadership positions

• Educate women and men about second-generation gender bias,

• Create safe “identity workspaces” to support transitions to bigger roles,

• Anchor women’s development efforts in a sense of leadership purpose rather than in how women are perceived.

Women in Leadership: Why It MattersWomen in Leadership: Why It Matters

7

83%

89%Women

77%Men

Total

More than 8 in 10 Americansbelieve that not having women in leadership positions as role models fails to inspire women and has contributed to preventing women from securing top leadership positions.

On a more personal note, a striking majority of Americans (81%) say that if a daughter of theirs were to pursue a leadership position in a business of her choice, they would feel confident in her abilities to succeed, and three-quarters (76%, rising to 82% among women) think it would be helpful for her to have female role models in her aspired positions to help her reach her goal. But in reflecting their aware-ness of the barriers facing women in business, just 60% think that it’s realistic that she would actually be able to reach that top position, despite the confidence they personally have in her abilities.

Women role models are uniquely important—among those who have had mentors that supported them in the workplace, majorities of men and women alike say their mentor was the same gender as them, suggesting the need for, and potential influence of, more women in top positions. Specifically, among women who had mentors in the workplace, nearly two-thirds (63%) say that their mentor was another woman, rising to 72% among millennial women who have had mentors, while just 37% had male mentors. That flips among men, with more than three-quarters (77%) having had male mentors (vs. 23% female mentors).

Women in leadership offer uniquely important mentorship

6

Women need role models

The only way to address and overcome these pre-conceptions and barriers is to have more women in positions of leadership; providing the support and role models women desperately need to advance in their careers, and bringing about much-needed changes in the workplace benefitting both genders.

And Americans are on board. Two-thirds (65%) say it’s highly important to them that younger women starting their careers have more women in leadership positions as role models. This desire is especially intense among millennial women (82% of women younger than 35), compared with 74% among women 35-54 years old, and even lower (67%) among women 55 or older.

18-34 y/o women

82%

35-54 y/o women74%

55+ y/o women

67%

2/3 of Americanssay it is especially important for women starting their careers to have women in leadership positions as role models.

8

There is an appetite and a readiness to change work-place cultures contributing to gender inequities, and Americans believe that businesses have a crucial role to play to impact change. Broad majorities agree that businesses have a responsibility to provide career development resources to their female employees (88%, including 87% of men and 88% of women alike) and to actively recruit women into leadership positions (84%, including 81% of men and 86% of women).

Notably, some occupational fields are more hospitable to women leaders than others: Perceived barriers for women are larger in particular sectors, with a majority (62%) of Americans saying that women have fewer opportunities than men in corporate America to serve in leadership positions. Government (55%) and business (50%) also present difficulty for women to rise to leadership positions. Newer, more entrepreneurial environments like startups are viewed as offering some reprieve, with just over one-third (36%) saying women have fewer opportunities in the space, and two in five (43%) saying men and women have the same opportu-nities, but women still face larger obstacles relative to their male counterparts.

In addition to inspiring and empowering women in their careers, sizable majorities think that having more women in leadership positions would have significant positive impacts in the workplace, including: helping to reduce the pay gap between men and women doing the same work (76%), changing workplace policies in ways that benefit both men and women (74%), and attracting a more diverse workforce (71%).

Women in leadership have a positive impact on workplace policies

More than 70% of Americans say that having more women in leadership positions would have significant impacts, including on:

The presence of women in leadership positions is an important consideration to Americans in choosing where to work—two-thirds (67%) say it’s at least some-what important to them, rising to 76% among women, suggesting that businesses’ efforts would help recruit and retain the talent that is crucial to the success of their organizations.

Women in Leadership: Why It MattersWomen in Leadership: Why It Matters

Portray inspiring stories of women leaders

Because you can’t be what you can’t see

First full female crew flying on Ethiopian airlines

Brunei crew landing in Saudi Arabia where women are not

allowed to drive

Develop mentoring program

Get career advice

A recruiting website dedicated to female employees in Saudi Arabia

Apres facilitates the reintegration of women in the workforce

Rate the companies

Join a community

Femmes d’Avenir Mediterranee

Find your accelerator

Map the women innovators

Bring up your kids consciously


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RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations for parents, educators, and other adults are based on the beliefs that good intentions are not enough to prevent leadership or other types of biases and that biases can’t easily or simply be eliminated. Reducing and preventing biases is a practice that we as adults need to model as well as cultivate in children and teens.

2. Cultivate Family Practices that Prevent and Reduce Bias

Biases often take root early in childhood. Parents and other adults can help prevent leadership and other biases from forming in children by developing reflexes and practices in both ourselves and our children that stem gender biases. We can, for example, provide children with gender-neutral toys, games, and clothes and orchestrate tasks and activities in ways that don’t reinforce traditional gender stereotypes. A chore wheel, for example, which boys and girls spin to see who does what family chores, can prevent boys and girls from falling into familiar gender-based family roles. We can ask girls to imagine themselves as senators, sports team managers, and business leaders, and we can ask boys to imagine themselves as child care directors or school arts program directors. We can work to expose girls and boys to culturally diverse women who model constructive leadership. As parents, we can periodically ask teens whether they think their school—or our family—is modeling gender equality and brainstorm with them what they or others might do about perceived inequities and biases.

3. Teach Teens to Spot and Effectively Confront Stereotypes and Discrimination

Girls are bombarded with constricting, demeaning images and stereotypes of females both in their daily interactions and in the media and culture that can erode their confidence in their leadership and negatively affect every corner of their lives (Levin & Kilbourne, 2008; Sax, 2010). These images also cultivate and reinforce boys’ biases. Adults need to mobilize girls and boys to both identify and actively combat these biases. We can, for example, ask girls and boys to identify denigrating images and messages in television and games—we might ask teens to count the number of male versus female leaders they see on television. We can brainstorm with children strategies for dealing with their peers’ gender biases, and recognize children who stand up to gender bias.

1. Check your own BiasesPreventing gender biases in teens and

children means first understanding and managing our own biases. Parents’ and teachers’ biases can deeply influence what they model for children and how they facilitate children’s daily lives. Do we inadvertently reinforce traditional gender roles, assigning girls caretaking tasks more than boys, for instance, or criticizing girls more than boys if they are arrogant or “bossy?” Are we as active in promoting and recognizing assertiveness in girls as we are in boys? Are we modeling nontraditional gender roles? At times it’s also important for us to seek feedback from those we trust and respect about whether we are expressing biases.


7. Use this Report to Spur Discussion

Ask teens how they understand the data reported here and facilitate discussions with teens about how to achieve greater gender equity at school and/or in the larger society. Have teens interview each other across gender and racial groups about their aspirations for leadership of various kinds: If you could be a leader, what would you want to be a leader of? Why? For a guide to discussing this report with teenagers, see Appendix B.

4. Don’t Just Let “Boys be Boys.”Girls’ confidence in their leadership and self-worth can

be eroded by the degradations they experience in their daily interactions with boys, including sexual harassment and other forms of misogyny. Ironically, at the same time that more teen girls and young women outpace males in school and work, high percentages of young women face degradation in their romantic and sexual relationships (Khazan, 2015; Kimmel, 2009; Hill & Kearl, 2011). Yet too many adults are passive even when these denigrations are in their midst. Adults should be alert to and challenge these affronts by, for example, pointing out to boys the false bravado in degrading girls and the real strength and honor in defying one’s peers when they devalue girls in general or divide girls into “good girls” and “bad girls.”

5. Challenge Teens’ Biased Assumptions and Beliefs

Teens’ biases are often explicit and inherent in their basic beliefs. For example, many teens believe that males are better political leaders and females are better child care directors. It’s imperative that adults constructively challenge these beliefs, but this is delicate work, because it’s important not to shame teens who hold these beliefs. Instead, we can, ask teens to consider on what basis these judgments are made and to question the “evidence” supporting these beliefs.

6. Use Programs and Strategies that Build Girls’ Leadership Skills

While a wide variety of programs and interventions directly or indirectly foster leadership skills in young girls—and some programs seek to prepare girls specifically for political roles and civic leadership—high percentages of girls don’t participate in these programs or don’t have access to high quality programs. For a list of promising programs and resources, please see Appendix E For a list of the key ingredients of effective programs and strategies, see Appendix A.

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TRY THIS (CONT’):

• Help girls develop specific leadership skills. Give girls chances to practice public speaking, to participate in decision-making processes, to work in teams, and to give and receive feedback. Invite them to practice these skills in decisions your family makes, for example, or encourage them to take action on problems they’re concerned about in their schools and communities.

• Talk to girls about their fears. Start conversations with girls about the things they feel hold them back from leadership. Model for them that it’s okay to feel nervous or worried about how they’ll be perceived or the reactions they may get when in leadership roles. Explore with girls various strategies for dealing with disapproval and criticism. Consider with girls how they might engage peers as supporters and allies when they face disapproval.

• Encourage girls to lead in collaboration with diverse groups of girls. Collaboration and teamwork are essential skills for leadership in today’s workplace, helping to develop social awareness, problem-solving abilities, perspective-taking and other key skills. And working in racial and economically diverse groups can enrich girls’ understandings of different cultures, expose girls to a wide range of leadership styles and abilities, and enable girls to draw on various kinds of cultural wisdom about leadership.

FOR MORE ON HOW PARENTS CAN COUNTER-ACT GENDER BIAS, SEE ALSO:

• Welcoming Schools: http://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/be-prepared-for-questions-and-put-downs-about-gender

• PBS: http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_teaching.html

• Anti-Defamation League: http://www.adl.org/education-outreach/anti-bias-education

LeadershipTips forParents

Brought to you by LeanIn.Org

& Girl Scoutsof the USA

1. Encourage Girls and Boys Equally to LeadTHE SITUATION > Parents and grandparents are crucial architects of a girl’s leadership potential. Yet as early as middle school, parents place a higher value on leadership for boys than for girls.3

THE SOLUTION > Reflect on the different messages you may be giving a daughter or son about ambition, future success, and leadership. Parents can legitimize a girl’s most ambitious dreams with acknowledgment and encouragement. Ask your daughter how she would change the world. Invite her to tell you what leadership means to her. Does she see herself as a leader? What are the ways she leads now, and in what ways would she like to lead more in the future?

Ninety-two percent of girls believe they can learn the skills required to lead—yet only twenty-one percent believe they already possess them.2

DID YOU KNOW?

#BANBOSSY banbossy.com girlscouts.org/banbossy

92% 21%

DID YOU KNOW? In a comprehensive study of

adolescents and their families, parents of seventh graders

placed greater importance on leadership for boys

thanfor girls.4

4

DID YOU KNOW? The confidence gap starts young: Between elementary school and

high school, girls’ self-esteem drops 3.5 times more than boys’.5


2. Be Conscious of the Way You and She TalkTHE SITUATION > Girls learn early that too much confidence can get them ostracized, and you can often hear the proof in how they communicate. Many girls start sentences with apologies (“I’m not sure this is right, but…”) or turn factual sentences into questions (“Martin Luther King was a civil rights leader?”). Some cock their heads, play with their hair, or cover their mouths while speaking, using phrases like “kind of” and “sort of” to weaken their convictions. These phrases can become habits and hinder a girl’s ability to speak in a direct manner later on.

THE SOLUTION > Notice how you communicate in front of your daughter or granddaughter and avoid hedging or softening your opinions with disclaimers or apologies. Be conscious of how your daughter or granddaughter speaks as well. Reach out to her teachers and coaches for feedback on how she communicates. Girls are vulnerable to perfectionism, so it can be helpful to acknowledge your own hedging words along with hers.

5

DID YOU KNOW? The wage gap

starts at home: Girls get paid less than boys for

household chores.7


3. Make Your Home an Equal HouseholdTHE SITUATION > The wage gap, along with the belief that women should oversee household work, starts earlier than you think. Research shows that boys spend less time on household chores but make more money than girls. Parents often place greater value on the chores boys typically perform, like mowing the lawn, than on chores that girls usually do, like folding laundry or dishwashing.6

THE SOLUTION > Your home is a powerful classroom for your children. Do your girls do “typical girl” chores like cleaning or laundry, while boys take out the trash and mow the lawn? Switch up the assignments. If certain chores receive more allowance, distribute those chores equally. If you end up doing chores in an attempt to avoid another round of nagging, take care to ensure you’re not doing one child’s work more than another’s.

6

DID YOU KNOW? Girls are twice as likely as boys to worry that

leadership roles will make them seem “bossy.”8


4. Teach Her to Respect Her FeelingsTHE SITUATION > Girls learn early on that being liked and avoiding conflict—even when they’re upset—can win social status and rewards. Many girls are told to “get over” their feelings or to stop being “so sensitive.” A girl’s ability to recognize and respect her feelings, and to speak up about them, is a vital ingredient to developing healthy personal authority and confidence.

THE SOLUTION > Teach your daughter to respect herself by letting her know it’s okay to feel whatever it is she feels and to talk about it. She may not like all her feelings, but they’re an important part of who she is; just as we have to take care of our bodies, we also have to take care of our feelings. Show her by example: avoid denying, second-guessing, or questioning her feelings with phrases like “It’s not a big deal” or “Don’t overreact.” When she’s ready to share with others, be realistic with her about the challenges of speaking up in a world that still expects girls to be nice above all. Sometimes we have to speak up just to show we believe we should be heard, even if the result isn’t what we hoped for.

Talk About the Word “Bossy”Calling a girl “bossy” when she asserts her voice—a word we rarely use for little boys—sends the message that girls should not speak up. Explain to the girls in your life that “bossy” is a word often used to make girls feel bad about speaking up. Brainstorm examples of moments when being “bossy” is a good idea. Talk about what you stand for as a family when it comes to speaking up and take steps to make sure the members of your extended community support your daughter when she speaks her mind.

ACTIVITY

DID YOU KNOW? Both boys and girls

think it’s easier for men to become leaders.9

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Help Her Commit Small Acts of Assertiveness You’ve heard of committing small acts of kindness. Now help your daughter commit small acts of assertiveness. Encourage her to order her own food at a restaurant or shake hands and make eye contact with a new acquaintance. Work together to help her set small weekly goals, like raising her hand regularly in class. Generate a list together of small ways she can use her voice and flex her speaking muscles. Remind her that just as we have to practice a sport to get better at it, we have to practice being assertive to develop confidence!

ACTIVITY


6. Dads and Granddads: Know Your InfluenceTHE SITUATION > Research has shown that father figures can have a significant impact on a girl’s ability to trust, enjoy, and relate well to the boys and men in her life.10 Girls whose fathers are positively involved in their lives also tend to have higher self-esteem and be more willing to try new things.11

THE SOLUTION > Dads and granddads, be aware of the power of your words and actions! They matter. Show respect for the girls and women in your life and in hers to help her develop high expectations of other men. Speak out against cultural messages that tell her to value her physical appearance above all else. Let her know you value her for who she is inside.

5. Moms and Grandmoms: Model Assertive BehaviorTHE SITUATION > Girls often learn to please others at the expense of themselves. They sometimes agree to requests even though they may not want to. Later, they feel resentful. Your daughter needs you to show her how to set boundaries in relationships and that doing so won’t end them.

THE SOLUTION > Try turning down a request to volunteer when you’re overloaded—and explain why to your daughter. If you do say yes and wish you hadn’t, avoid dropping hints about how you really feel by passively communicating or getting quiet or sullen. Don’t expect others to guess how you feel; speak up and say it. Let your daughter watch you move constructively through a conflict with a close friend, family member, or colleague and emerge successfully on the other side.

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7. Seize the Power of Organized Sports and ActivitiesTHE SITUATION > Extracurricular activities offer some of the most formative leadership training available to girls. Diverse girls come together to accomplish a common goal: they have to learn to collaborate, speak up, compromise, and even screw up, often under stress. Sports can be particularly positive for girls. A survey found that more than 80 percent of senior women executives played sports growing up.12

THE SOLUTION > Get her on a team! Developing her athletic ability is only one part of what she’s there to learn. Embrace the sports field as a classroom where your daughter will learn an invaluable set of social and psychological skills. If she is not interested in sports, help her seek out another activity where she can be part of a team. Whether it’s debate, band, or chess, there is a group out there for everyone.

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DID YOU KNOW? When they participate in extracurricular activities,

girls gain leadership skills that stay with them for life. Encourage girls to try

something new and work to develop those skills!13

ACTIVITY

Become Movie Critics! Help your daughter learn to think critically about gender roles in movies by running her favorites through three simple questions:

1. Does the movie have at least two named female characters?

2. Do the female characters talk to each other?

3. Do they talk to each other about something other than a boy or man?

This is called the Bechdel Test, and you’ll be surprised by how few movies pass it!

Then use the attached activity to turn your next family movie night into an open discussion of how male and female characters are portrayed. With your help, kids 6 and up can participate.

DID YOU KNOW? Of the top one hundred U.S.

films in 2011, women accounted for only 33% of all characters

and only 11% of the protagonists.16


8. Get Media Literate—TogetherTHE SITUATION > On average, kids consume technology and media for almost eight hours each day.14 That’s an education in and of itself. But what are girls learning? Research shows that males outnumber females by almost three to one in family films. Even more discouraging, female characters are almost four times as likely to be shown in sexy attire.15

THE SOLUTION > Take the time to ask your daughter what she’s watching and reading and why she likes it. Pick a movie or television show and ask: What kinds of messages about girls and women does it send? How are girls and women portrayed and what do they do and talk about? How are girls’ and women’s relationships portrayed? Are the relationships built on trust and caring? What do you think about what you’re seeing? Have a discussion, not a lecture. Weigh in on your concerns, but remember that she’ll take you more seriously when you can both enjoy and criticize her favorite media.

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ACTIVITY

1. Practice Problem Solving with G.I.R.L.Help your daughter cultivate the skills she needs for effective problem solv-ing. Use the attached tool—called G.I.R.L.—to teach her how to organize her thoughts, weigh her options, and choose a path.

2. Talk About MistakesHelp your daughter get comfortable with mistakes by asking her to evaluate her performance. After a soccer game, musical recital, or test, ask her what she’s proud of and what she would like to do differently next time. If she’s too hard on herself (“I played the worst game of my life!”), encourage her to focus on specifics rather than labeling the whole experience. Listen and don’t judge—remember, you want to get her in the habit of calmly dealing with her mistakes and trying again.


9. Let Her Solve Problems on Her OwnTHE SITUATION > Resilience, the ability to overcome obstacles, is a cornerstone of confidence. When parents step in to solve problems, girls don’t develop the coping skills they need to handle difficult situations on their own.

THE SOLUTION > When your daughter has a problem, pause and ask, “What do you want to do about it?” If she says, “I don’t know,” push her gently to consider strategies she might use to deal with the situation and then ask her about the possible outcomes. Let her decide what she wants to do (within reason). Even if you disagree with her, give her the chance to own her decision and learn a lesson if it doesn’t work out the way she wants. Your confidence in her ability to solve problems on her own will build hers!

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DID YOU KNOW? It pays to be gritty:

One of the most common attributes in successful women is resilience.17

ACTIVITY

Cultivate Her PassionFinding a passion in life—whether it’s playing the bassoon, fund-raising for a cause, or perfecting her foul shot—can fuel a girl’s drive and help her see her potential. Ask your daughter to rate her five favorite activities and classes on a scale from one to ten. If you don’t see anything above a six, consider introducing her to a new experience or revisiting something she once loved to do. Participating in things she loves teaches commitment and helps her aspire to leadership roles. Finding something she’s extra passionate about can help give your daughter a greater sense of purpose and leadership experiences she will use throughout her life.


10. Encourage Her to Step Outside Her Comfort ZoneTHE SITUATION > We feel braver when we prove to ourselves that we can leave our comfort zones, overcome barriers, and master challenging tasks. Many girls struggle to take risks because they worry about failing or disappointing others.

THE SOLUTION > Encourage your daughter to try new things, whether it’s going to an event where she doesn’t know a lot of people or asking her to check out with a cashier at the grocery store. If she always lets her friends decide what to do on weekends, encourage her to say what she wants (you can even role-play with her first). Being brave is rarely about dramatic moments: it’s a skill acquired, little by little, over time. Let her know she doesn’t have to be perfect the first time she does something. She just has to try.

DID YOU KNOW? Opportunities for leadership are everywhere. Girls learn

crucial skills through everyday activities like taking care of a pet,

raising money for a cause, or babysitting.18

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Problem Solving with G.I.R.L.Adapted from the Girls Leadership Institute’s summer camp curriculum, this

activity cultivates the skills girls need for effective problem solving; it’s designed

for parents, teachers, and other caretakers to use with individual or groups

of girls seven years old and up.

Girls are introduced to a sequence called G.I.R.L. to help them organize their

thoughts, weigh their options, and strategize effectively. Knowing how to

navigate life’s social, academic, and extracurricular challenges will help girls

build resilience—a crucial leadership skill.

GOALS FOR GIRLS: • Learn and practice a problem-solving sequence

• Reflect on what is gained from a failed problem-solving attempt

MATERIALS: • Step-by-step instructions

• Sample talking points (but feel free to use your own words!)

• G.I.R.L. handout

ESTIMATED TIME: 20–25 minutes

Visit banbossy.com to download our leadership tips and activities for girls, parents, teachers, and troop leaders.


ACTIVITY FOR GIRLSRecommended for girls 7 and up

Introduction to G.I.R.L.

G.I.R.L. is a problem-solving sequence that helps girls generate multiple strategies to address a problem and feel more in control. It also pushes girls to think two moves ahead and be strategic about the outcome they want. When they explain why they’re making a certain choice, girls become more accountable for their decisions. Best of all, when they imagine the end result of a strategy before choosing it, they get the chance to change their minds before doing something they regret.

We encourage you to use G.I.R.L. every time the girl in your life faces a challenge. Through repetition and practice, she will eventually learn to do the steps in her head—and even in the moment itself!

Step 1: Talk about the importance of problem-solvingESTIMATED TIME: 3–5 minutes

When a girl is facing a challenge, take a moment to recognize her feelings by empathizing. For example, you can say:

• I know this must be really hard…

• I’m sorry you’re hurting…

• You must feel so [insert emotion]…

Find out how she wants to handle the problem by asking:

What do you want to do about this?

If she says, “I don’t know,” explain why you’re asking by saying something like:

I know you’re having a hard time right now, and I know you feel confused about what to do. In the long run, it won’t help you if I just give you the answer or tell you what to do. The only way we learn to solve our own problems is through practice. That’s why we’re going to work together on this— you and me.


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We all face challenges, but

with good problem-solving skills they don’t

seem as hard.

Step 2: Practice the G.I.R.L. problem-solving protocolESTIMATED TIME: 15 minutes

Start by introducing G.I.R.L. You can use the attached handout or just list out the four parts of G.I.R.L on a piece of paper.

Here’s some language to help you describe G.I.R.L. and how it works:

When you have a problem and don’t know what to do, it helps to map out all your choices so you can come up with the best strategy. We’re going to practice a special way of doing that right now.

It starts with the word girl—G.I.R.L.

G (Gather Your Choices) Write about all the possible choices you could make.

I (I Choose) Pick one choice out of all the possibilities you just listed and decide what you want to do.

R (Reasons Are) Write in the reasons why you made your choice.

L (List the Outcomes) List all the things that could happen if you make this choice.

Now, complete G.I.R.L. together. You can use a problem she is currently facing or try the sample in the sidebar.


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SAMPLE PROBLEM:

Ask her to imagine this situation: You keep hearing that one of your friends is talking about you behind your back.

Then walk her through the sample responses:

G (Gather Your Choices) • Stop speaking to my friend• Tell her to stop• Ask her if she’s mad at me• Ask her why she’s doing it• Ask my friends if they know what’s going on• Talk to an adult• Talk about her behind her back

I (I Choose)Ask her why she’s doing it

R (Reasons Are)Because I want to give her a chance to tell me how she’s feeling

L (List the Outcomes) • She might apologize and stop • She might deny it• She might get mad at me• She might apologize and keep doing it

QUICK TIP: When she makes a

decision about what to do, brainstorm together about a day, time, and

place she can try it.

It pays for girls to be gritty: One of the most

common attributes of successful women

is resilience.


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Step 3: After she tries her strategy, talk about how it wentESTIMATED TIME: 3–5 minutes

Start by giving her lots of praise for taking a risk and going for it! Then talk together about what happened. Avoid passing judgment about the end result. Instead, ask her to consider what worked well and what could have gone better—both with the approach she chose to take and the G.I.R.L. process as a whole.

If the outcome didn’t turn out as well as she had hoped, acknowledge her disappointment, then ask her what she learned. For example, you might say:

I know you’re disappointed, and I would be too. But even when things don’t go your way, you still learn new things that will help you the next time you’re in a jam. Let’s think together about what you got out of this experience and how it might help you in the future.


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G.I.R.L.: Your Secret Weapon for Solving Problems


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Write down your problem:

I’m a Leader


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Now use G.I.R.L. to help solve it:

GGather Your Choices

II Choose

RReasons Are

LList the Outcomes

Build your own confidence

• Stop telling girls to be “little ladies” and “good” girls who help with chores, wait their turns, do not display pride, express anger or be demanding as children.

• Politeness and taking turns, two highly-ranked lessons we teach girls in particular, are not virtues in the public sphere.

• Examine implicit biases and stop interrupting and talking over girls. This is something that parents and teachers do twice as often to girls as to boys. You know what this teaches? That girls’ words and thoughts are not as important or valued. The most powerful illustration of the effects of gender on perceptions of importance, competence and speech are the experiences of people who undergo sex changes. In the wake of Larry Summers’ “women can’t do math” controversy several years ago, scientist Ben Barreswrote publicly about his female-to-male transition experience. After transitioning, he gave a well-received scientific speech and overheard a member of the audience explain that “his work is much better than his sister’s,” referring to when he was Barbara Barres. Notably, he concluded that one of the major benefits of being male was that he could now “even complete a whole sentence without being interrupted by a man.”

• Stop promoting the idea that masculinized expression is superior and that women have to emulate it to be successful. The expectation that women be gender bi-lingual, or code switch, is a function of being part of a muted group. The kind of confidence that many people advocate just means a woman has work very hard to overcome sexist gender incongruities to succeed.

• Nip American male “boys will be boys“ entitlements in the bud by holding boys and girls to the same standards of self-regulation as children.

• Understand that our country’s early childhood math gap, an indicator of so much else in society and achievement of “success,” is larger than others’ and that is related not to girl’s inability to do math, but to higher male status. I spoke to a boy crisis in education crisis author recently who revealed, despite writing several books, that he was had done no cross-cultural examination of math aptitude.

• Don’t be apathetic about challenging schools to teach women’s history. Despite girls’ higher academic achievements, girls are leaving schools feeling less secure in their abilities. Girls go into our schools with assuredness and ambition, but they don’t leave them that way. Boys however, suffer no degradation of confidence in school. All of this takes place in schools contorting themselves over misunderstandings of the boy crisis in education. Boy crisis in education proponents struggle to justify their concerns when they don’t seem to correlate with men’s higher levels of confidence, pay, political ambition or any number of other metrics that we gauge success by. The erasure of women’s past accomplishments and struggles is depriving boys and girls both of the imagination to seewomen as powerful agents of change. By suppressing this history, we fail to prepare them for citizenship, we actively make them culturally illiterate, we undermine our ability to create an effective workforce that provides equal opportunity and leverages the talents of all people and we fail to grow adults who can think critically. Can you or children you know answer one or two of these six very basic questions pertaining to women’s historic work. The “confidence gap” will never close until everyone is equally fluent in this history as they are with our male dominated one.

• Don’t tolerate the everyday sexism of male control of religious leadership. This alone would yield seriously positive results for girls and women’s confidence. Why wouldn’t you reject any notion of God that incorporates the idea that women cannot speak to and for God on equal terms as a man? What kind of ridiculous message is that to send children? There are alternatives everywhere if you want to find them.

• Challenge institutions that employ sexual objectification. Not just the blatant sort in advertising and media, but the insidious kind that is part of conventional thinking. For example, dress codes and purity ideals.

• Make gender awareness and critical media literacy skills a priority in education. Media is a psychic gift to boys, especially, in the U.S., white boys. It’s a lifetime legacy to look around and see yourself represented in diverse, multidimensional ways. Wearing clothes.

• Stop focusing on individual women and their choices and spend time on what systemic change has to happen to close this gap. All the confidence in the world will change nothing fundamentally unless we have wholesale cultural will to create institutionalized parity.