Prescott Athena Awards

With more women graduating from college, there continue to be great changes in the workplace. In the past 30 years, there has been an enormous increase of the number of women in all levels of management. The pipeline for women CEOs has grown. However, the number of women in these positions is still very small. Women comprise only 10% of the Fortune 500 CEOs, 29% of corporate board members, and less than 30% of college presidents. Thus, top leaders remain predominantly male and white.

There has always been a direct correlation between education and income, with college graduates earning significantly more than high school graduates. Given the current 60/40 female-to-male ratios at colleges, an increasing number of women will likely earn more than men in the coming decades.

However, women are leaving or changing careers at higher rates than their male counterparts. In a recent study by McKinsey & Company, women cited that they “experience microaggressions that undermine authority and signal that it will be harder to advance.” These sentiments echo earlier surveys that indicated that “male chauvinism, attitudes toward a female boss, and the simple fact of being a woman” are key obstacles in advancing their careers. In a poll of 12,000 workers by The Los Angeles Times, two-thirds reported sex discrimination; 60% saw signs of racism.

More than 80% of the executive women in a Wall Street Journal/Gallup study said they believe there are disadvantages to being a woman in the business world. Men, they say, “don’t take them seriously.” In the same survey, 61% of the women executives reported having been mistaken for a secretary at a business meeting; 25% said they had been thwarted on their way up the ladder by male attitudes toward women. A significant majority – 70% – believed they are paid less than men of equal ability. The most recent study by McKinsey & Company attests that these attitudes continue to persist.

In addition to these conditions, women leaders are facing burnout from an unsustainable workload because of the triple burden of paid work, unpaid work and emotional tolls. “Even in the most equal of partnerships, it’s deeply ingrained within us that those tasks, those chores, those responsibilities – emotional and physical – fall to women. As men advance in their careers, they do less household labor; women leaders do not have that luxury.”

As a mother of three children, two of them daughters, and as a college educator, I ponder how to best prepare our children for changing times. Leaning in, I do not believe, is sufficient. The social implications of the changing educational ratios could be profound.

If harassment and discrimination still dominate the issues facing women in the workplace, how can we collectively strive for solutions? Increasingly important to women are finding solutions that change work cultures to prioritize flexibility, respect and an environment where we are more valued and fulfilled.

I still believe education is the best pathway to empower and support women and create a pathway of economic independence. I have and will continue to advocate for policies that alleviate the triple burden, promote social justice and address the systemic bias that still endures today. I am disappointed that more has not been accomplished in the decades since I first marched to support the women’s movement. I want a better society and workplace/home balance for my daughters and their daughters. Empathy, compassion and support of each other will go a long way. QCBN

By Barbara Morris

Dr. Barbara Jean Morris has a Ph.D. in political science and currently serves as the 18th president of Prescott College.

Dr. Morris will be one of the featured guests on the “Women in Leadership Panel” at the 4th Annual Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards, 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 24, at Starting Point. For more information about the event and tickets visit PrescottAthena.com.