|
WITI CAREERS
Change will only occur as we, as women, transform
Whether these women have any interest in becoming a CEO is beside the point. The fact that, as women, we are continuing to accept - and even endorse - environments that prevent women from reaching the top is pretty disturbing. Margaret Heffernan, author, entrepreneur and former CEO, pointed out in a Fast Company Newsletter that, "...women are leaving corporate America in droves... By 2005, there will be about 4.7 million self-employed women in the United States, up 77% since 1983. The increase for men? Just 6%. Women leave because they want to work differently and because they don't want to have to add the second job of becoming a change agent to their existing job. Women don't want to redecorate the company. They want to build something new, different, and theirs - from scratch."I believe the good news here is that women leaving corporate America have decided to design their professional lives in their own terms; this is a healthy move in the right direction. However, I do believe a good percentage of women would have preferred the opportunity to build something worthwhile within the corporations they left. I tell the women who choose to work in companies who have demonstrated little commitment to substantive change that change will occur more rapidly when we no longer participate in the game. Change will come when we no longer accept lower salaries than our male counterparts, no longer tolerate dismissive behavior, no longer agree to inferior assignments, and insist on getting the credit we deserve. It's time to start accepting total responsibility for where we are; this is the only way to fully contribute our many gifts. It is time to shift from seeing ourselves as less, to realizing we are at least equal - some might say more. Taking a stand is a transforming experience, especially when done not out of anger, but out of the clarity of believing in yourself and your value.
What is your point of view? Please post your thoughts on the discussion board.
Recent Posts: |
|
 |
|
When WITI began, the women's movement's public face was one of anger and resentment. Born in 1848, the women's movement's 150th anniversary occurred in 1998. And yet, 150 years and 7 generations later, almost half of the women responding to our survey believe that, given equal qualifications, they do not have an equal opportunity to become CEO of their company.