Blog#8 - 'Closing the Gender Gap'

Katherine Gottsegen
10/21/2011
‘Closing the Gender Gap’
The European Institute of Business Administration (Insead), in France, has partnered with the Forte Foundation in the U.S. to try and find out why fewer women enroll in business schools and how to change it. Businesses have been trying to implement policies for working women that would encourage more female representation at higher levels of administration. Employers increase child-care options and offer more flexible hours, allowing a more family-friendly work environment. Business schools have taken the approach of informing their students about importance of diversity in the work space and are trying to encourage more female enrollment in their schools. Insead and the Forte Foundation work together to persuade more women into leadership roles. Herminia Ibarra, a professor of organizational behavior at Insead, points out that is women are only 17% of a group, they will be less likely to speak up and voice their opinions about things. One of the major barriers Insead found that has kept many women from applying to business schools is timing. The application period usually occurs several years after having experience in the field, a time when many women are considering settling down and starting a family. Another potential barrier would be the lack role models and mentors that encourage career advancement. The female population of Insead has grown to 300 in the past 6 years and they created a strong network working together.
It’s interesting to read about the gender division in the business setting because I don’t often hear about the inequalities some companies enforce. The fact that these groups have to encourage women into leadership roles says something. Have women really been held down by men for so long that they don’t feel compelled to reach for the same positions men have steadily maintained? It is mind boggling to me that ONE aspect of a person, their gender, can affect promotions and hiring. Shouldn’t their work effort, personality, ability to collaborate, and passion take precedence over this? Another aspect of this that I find enlightening is the fact that many women are realizing that they don’t have to have kids at a certain point in their lives, they can pursue whatever jobs they may want without feeling inhibited by their families.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/education/20iht-SReducWomen20.html?ref=europe