LinkedIn Top Voices in Gender Equity

LinkedIN Top Voices
LinkedIN Top Voices

When I left Microsoft a few months ago to turn my focus and my energy on the issue of driving for gender equity, particularly in high tech, to pave the way for other women to succeed and try to break down the headwinds that hold so many great women from receiving the recognition and support they deserve, I was hoping that I could fuel momentum. I am incredibly grateful and duly impressed by the many women I have connected with and discovered who are also driving for the same change – lending their voices, energy and sweat equity to this incredibly important issue.

I am even more humbled and honored to be considered an influencer among some of the most esteemed women in this space. Thank you http(99+) LinkedIn Top Voices in Gender Equity: The 15 creators to follow | LinkedIn  for drawing attention to this important topic and continuing to fuel the momentum on the movement for gender equity.

Like so many women, there have been moments when I felt like I did not belong. So many meetings where I was the only woman in the room and I would speak up only to be ignored and have my ideas repeated by another man several minutes later and have it hailed as a brilliant contribution. This has happened so many times to me that I have developed my own strategies for building allies prior to there being a name for this role. I discovered the value that allies can provide and how meaningful it is for a man to recognize when I have been interrupted or when my idea was miscredited in a way that did not “rescue me” for I did not need that, but instead empowered me by interrupting the flow and making space for me to step into it. I am so grateful for the many allies that I have enlisted throughout my career and it is what has fueled my passion to document my experiences and the actions these individuals took as my allies.

2022 is the year we #breakthebias and #becomeallies to disrupt the status quo, take action and make change. Congratulations to the incredibly impactful women recognized for their contributions. On this #IWD2022, let’s build the movement and drive the change!

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Nominate the ALLIES in your life

WIC Allies | Nominate An Ally | Recognizing leaders who advocate, empower and sponsor women in tech. | Deadline: December 30, 2021

The #WICxALLIES Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge those who have supported your entrepreneurial journey through their allyship, advocacy and sponsorship.  Please share with us who are the #ALLIES in your life.  I want to hear your stories.  Please share!

WIC Allies | Nominate An Ally | Recognizing leaders who advocate, empower and sponsor women in tech. | Deadline: December 30, 2021

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Celebrating Women: Our Opportunity

Women make up 50.8% of the US population and 46.9% of the workforce. When women take collective action, we can disrupt the status quo.

We should celebrate…

  1. In 2018 38% of lawyers were women. In 2022 reaching 50%, 55,766 women nationwide are studying for a juris doctor (law) degrees, compared with 55,059 men, according to the bar association.
  2. The national women’s soccer league scored a major victory in February: After a six-year fight, the two sides reached a settlement in which the female players will receive $24 million in back pay and other benefits from the federation. And, in the future, women will be compensated on par with the men.
  3. According to the AAMC Women constitute 50.5% of today’s medical students, building on steady increases in recent years that saw women account for the majority of first-year students in 2017 and most of medical school applicants in 2018. Women reached the cusp of the majority in total enrollment in 2019, when they constituted 49.5% of all medical students, up from 46.9% in 2015.
  4. Women make up 40% of the nation’s physical scientists. We are 48% of life scientists and women’s representation among mathematical workers is 47%
  5. Women are 61.7% of all accountants and auditors in the United States.

 And yet…

  1. Women earn on average only $.85 cents on the dollar compared to men
  2. At mid-career, when earnings peak, the top 10 percent of female lawyers earn more than $300,000 a year, while the top 10 percent of male lawyers earn more than $500,000.
  3. Super star athletes, like Sue Bird, who is without question the GOAT of basketball earns a fraction of the salary and endorsements of her male peers
  4. Despite women making gains in STEM fields like science and math, women did not make as big gains in computer and engineering occupations, which made up the largest portion (80%) of the STEM workforce. Women are still only 27% of these occupations.
  5. Women are 50% of all full-time staff at CPA firms, but make up just 27% of partners and principals

When organizations embrace diversity, institutionalize equity and embrace inclusion, everyone wins. According to Fundera 20 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics to Know for 2021 (fundera.com) not only are highly gender-diverse executive teams 21% more likely to outperform on profitability.

They are also….

  1. Companies with equal men and women earn 41% more revenue.
  2. Diverse teams are 70% more likely to capture new markets.
  3. Diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions.
  4. Inclusive companies are 1.7x more innovative.
  5. Companies that have a highly inclusive culture have 2.3x more cash flow per employee.

Dictionary.com made allies the word of the year for 2021. What will it take for us to put ALLIES into action and drive for gender equity in 2022? What actions will you commit to today for 2022?

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