36 Republican presidential candidates for 2016. 2 women.
500 S&P CEOs. 23 women.
15 teachers of an online course. 1 woman.
I’m a glass half-full kind of person. But that’s not progress. That’s a lack of willingness to embrace positive change. It shows our discomfort in acknowledging our biases. It shows our fear of empowerment.
“I want real equality, where women run half our companies and countries, and men run half our homes.” – Sheryl Sandberg
This is a goal worth shooting for. And it starts with you.
If you’re a man, embrace the fact that your spouse has an important career. Consider that YOU might be the right person to be the stay at home parent, not her. Seek mentorship and advice from your female coworkers. Ask their opinions, respect their thoughts, stop talking over them. And recognize that your bias is to discredit what your female counterparts have to say… and that they’re almost certainly more qualified than you.
If you’re a woman, fight for what you want in the world. Find allies to help you get there. Speak up. Ask for that raise. Leave companies where you are belittled and harassed. Out the men who hold you back. Come to work with those of us who want you to lead us.
And for the skeptics, keep this in mind: women-led companies perform three times better than the S&P 500
You can be a part of creating gender parity at work and at home. We all lose if you don’t.
(All of these numbers are as of this writing)
Thank you to all of the amazing, strong, courageous, professional female role models in my life for the inspiration for this post.