Women are a key component of the twenty-first century workplace, and with good reason! Making up roughly half (49.6% to be precise) of the world’s population, women work and contribute in all levels and facets of modern society. From entry level to c-suite, women are therapists, farmers, plumbers, programmers, journalists, world leaders, and everything in between. However, there are those alive today who can recall a time when women were refused entry to institutions of higher learning and were allocated menial tasks. How can we have come so far in less than a century? How far do we still have to go?
Women’s Suffrage – A Self Made Movement
The 20th century served as fertile grounds for dramatic alterations to our social hierarchies. The welfare state was conceptualized and its roots firmly planted. The civil rights movement blossomed and bore fruit. The founding of the United Nations sought to heal a war-ravaged world.
Similarly, the role of women in society was called into question as early as the 1800s. While not quite a minority, women were routinely and legally barred from participating in the very backbone of our democracy – voting. Undeterred and unrelenting, America’s women proceeded to demonstrate their fierce commitment to equality. Women’s suffrage was born, leading to equality of democratic rights, full participation in the workforce, and acceptance into institutions of higher learning. Slowly, a more equal and righteous America began to take shape. From discrimination in universities sprouted directors of those same institutions. A job market that would not hire women today sees these individuals leading Fortune 500 companies. A political system that once forbade women to cross the threshold has now elected a woman to the second most powerful office in the country.
Women Today
Progress is undeniable. But how fare those who are not Karen Lynch or Kamala Harris? Here are some statistics from the 2023 workforce:
– Women are employed in 47% of entry level jobs, but make up a mere 28% of the C-suite.
– For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 87 women make the same cut.
– Women at work report twice as many comments about their appearances and their emotional state as their male counterparts, resulting in unpleasant stereotyping at best, and harassment at worst.
– Women continue to earn approximately 85% of the male salary.
At the same time, sixty percent of businesses have increased their financial and staffing investments in DEI. However, the gap between the best of intentions and actual practices is ever-present among hiring officers as observed in countless studies. What then can be done to promote further equality?
While acknowledging that there is no one path forward is key, history – and indeed, common decency – has shown that people flourish best when in control of their own destiny. As a WBENC certified corporation, we experience firsthand how women’s opinions, perspectives, and priorities are imperative when determining matters related to women, and to the company at large. As a company made up of a workforce with more than fifty percent women, we believe there is no substitute for a woman’s voice at a board meeting, or on the senior leadership team. Through diversifying the teams that implement key company strategies, we can strive for a work environment that is more accessible, equal, and righteous towards all its participants.
Shepherd Search Group recalls dearly its late co-founder and inspirational leader, Barbara Ratner (1933 – 2022). Barbara was an author, a vocalist, an advocate for those less fortunate and a businesswoman. Most importantly to her, she was a mother, a grandmother and of course a “Shepherd.” As a vital member of our executive board and senior advisor to the CEO – since the company’s inception – Barbara assisted Shepherd Search Group with its rapid growth. She provided us with a vision and with values that remain with us until this day. There must be a message given that Shepherd’s senior VP and leader passed away on International Women’s Day two years ago. She is sorely missed by our firm and so many of those we serve.
