Not all women like dressing up or charting a linear path. Not all women aspire to be CEO or enter politics. Diversify role models to optimize relatability Having a working mother has also been found to ameliorate against the gendered ‘think manager, think male’ stereotypes that fuel imposter syndrome, make women less comfortable with power and more reticent to see themselves as future leaders. We think we aren’t experienced enough when in fact we are.”Ī study across 29 countries found that daughters whose mothers were pursuing careers were 1.21 times more likely to have higher annual earnings. This is partially because mothers, more so than fathers, are the most influential role models for daughters. As Kathy Calvin, former CEO and President of the United Nations Foundation shared with me on my Live Brave Podcast, “We women hold ourselves back. Women tend underestimate their abilities more so than men, reducing their confidence and making them less likely to put themselves forward for roles until they feel 100% ready. Highlight women taking risks and daring to fail Knowing that there is not one linear path to forward can be both liberating and empowering. Likewise, examples of women who’ve approached their career as a matrix rather than a ladder helps younger women think more laterally as they navigate their own career path. During my dissertation research, women leaders cited the impact of having strong female role models succeeding on their terms - women demonstrating the ability to manage the responsibilities of career and family - with authenticity and without apology. If you’re a working woman who has ever struggled with mothers’ guilt (as I have), you’ll know all too well that women have to deal with a greater complexity of expectations and conflicting social pressures than men. ![]() “It takes an accumulation of roles models – real life examples of what girls and women can do if given the opportunity – to change entrenched attitudes.” Spotlight more women succeeding on their terms The ripple effect of the paucity visible female role models – past and present - impacts not just our beliefs about women’s ability to rise or to hold power today, but what we project for women in the future.ĭr Ansary, UN Women Global Champion, shared with me that raising the visibility of women in every sphere of endeavor is vital to empowering women and achieving gender parity. With statistics like this, it’s little wonder that our mental template for power is intrinsically masculine. It’s little wonder that when scientists Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the 2020 Nobel Prize in chemistry this week it made headlines. Of the 904 individuals awarded the Nobel Prize between 19, only 51 (less than 6%) were women (one of the many compelling statistics from Anonymous Is A Woman.) Indeed, as Dr Ansary points out in her book, women occupy only 0.5% of history books. And if you walk into the libraries of those universities, you’ll be searching hard for stories of women wielding power and making history. Of the world’s top 200 universities, only 34 (17%) were led by women in 2019. Dial up the spotlight on more women - past and present So as we celebrate International Day of the Girl this Sunday, here are six ways to harness and magnify the impact of role models to empower more young women (and maybe a few not-so-young) to defy the social norms, stereotypes and biases that have too long stifled the potential of half the world’s population. The disproportional impact of the COVID pandemic on women (participation in the US labor force by women aged 25 to 54 dropped to 74.2% in September) should be a siren call the world over. ![]() role models demonstrate the mindsets and behaviors of how to rise. ![]()
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