The American Myth of Women's Equality

The White House Project released a report on Friday that dispels what seems to be an American myth about women's equality by offering 132 pages of benchmarks to truthfully describe where women stand in a variety of sectors.

The report describes how "much of the general public believes that women's fight for parity in the workplace has already been won" but goes on to say that women are still noticeably absent from the boardrooms and the executive suites. Due to the economic slowdown, it has made it harder for everyone to move ahead, and women's progress up the ladder and through the glass ceiling is seemingly stalled.

As we know, today women account for only 18 percent of our top leaders and make 78.7 cents to every dollar earned by a man, which is a wage gap that increases with age. Here are additional benchmarks presented in the report:

• In business, among Fortune 500 companies, women constitute only 3 percent of the CEOs, 6 percent of the top paying positions, and 16 percent of the corporate officers.
• In film, women constitute 16 percent of all directors, executive producers, producers,  writers, cinematographers; this represents a slight decrease in their representation in these  positions in the last decade.
• In journalism, women of color account for less than 17 percent of female news staff, and only 6 percent of newsroom staff overall.
• In law, despite being nearly half (48 percent) of law school graduates, women make up only 18 percent of law partners and only one in four judges.
• In the military, women make up 11 percent of the officers in the top five officer categories today and 15 percent of all military officers.
• In nonprofits, women CEOs of nonprofits have been losing ground relative to men in terms of salaries: female CEOs now make only 66 percent of male salaries, compared with 71 percent in 2000.
• In state politics, there are only six women governors, and women comprise only 15 percent of mayors of cities with populations of over 100,000.

However, despite all this, a recent GFK Roper poll indicates that a majority of Americans are comfortable with women as top leaders in all sectors, from academia and business to media and the military.

So what exactly is holding us back from achieving the success and status we deserve?

My answer to that question is time and a concerted effort by organizations to create change. I do believe that the younger generation is growing up with more access, aspirations, and ambition to get to the top and many don't feel born and bred into discrimination as women did in the past. However, as Colonel Michaelene Kloster said during the White House Project press conference on Friday, "You have to believe in yourself and don't stop. Too many women stop."

The report also describes six methods for organizations that are interested closing the leadership gap:

• Work to achieve a critical mass of women in leadership roles in every sector. A critical mass of one-third or more women in leadership positions is essential.
• Use financial resources strategically. In choosing which goods or services to purchase and which non-profits to fund, look through a gender lens which considers the representation of women, and women of color, on the board and in top leadership.
• Amplify women's voices in the public arena. Prominently include women leaders in public forums and media so that they in particular -- and women in general -- are recognized as role models and considered for boards and other top-level positions.
• Collect and analyze the data. Surprisingly little information exists across sectors regarding the representation of women, and particularly women of color, in positions of leadership.
• Regular tracking and reviewing of the numbers -- including the wage gap -- are essential for setting benchmarks and monitoring progress.
• Maintain accountability through setting targets. These targets should be specific in order to monitor genuine progress.
• Improve flexibility in workplace structures. for women and men alike, increased flexibility -- including an acceptance of the need for work-life balance -- promotes career satisfaction and job retention.

What would your solution be when it comes to closing the leadership gap in these sectors? Do you feel like women are missing from leadership roles at your company?

Photo credit: The White House Project on Flickr