This week we celebrate women with International Women’s Week. So far this has been a tremendous year for women , from the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements to the Olympic Winter Games. Women are showing change is happening. Unfortunately, the change is not enough. There are still some scary statistics out there that show how far behind women are.
On average women make 70-90 cents for every $1.00 a man makes. Only 10 of the 152 elected Heads of State worldwide are women. Women represent only 4% of the CEO’s of the world’s top 500 companies. There is no position in the film making process that has more than 25% women working in the field. Men outnumber women as judges and magistrates in 50% of the world courts. 62 million girls are denied an education world-wide.
There are only 52 countries in the world that have laws on marital rape. 2 in 3 women who are victims of intimate partner violence are victims of homicide. 125 million women and girls alive today have been subjected to female genital mutilation. 4 out of 5 victims of human trafficking are female.
So we still have some work to do. On the bright side the statistics as reported by the United Nations is seeing positive changes in these numbers. Collectively we are doing something right.
The business world is seeing more and more women become entrepreneurs. Currently 46% of privately held companies in the US are at least half owned by women. From 1997 to 2015 women owned businesses have increased by 74%.
Before we get too depressed over this, let’s look at some of the great things women bring to the table. Women are incredible multi taskers. As human’s have evolved women have had the task of keeping the homestead and raising the children. Anyone who has balanced a toddler on their hip while doing the dishes or making dinner knows the skills needed to pull that stuff off. Women are also great collaborators. Although they can be territorial at times, for the most part, women are accustomed to working together for the common good. We saw that with the recent awards shows. Women standing together, collaborating on how to make change. A woman’s instinct and emotional intelligence is usually a fined tuned skill. This helps them show empathy in the work place which can reduce conflicts. They also have the ability to stay calm when crisis hits. Remember that toddler on the hip, the dishes falling to the floor somehow become a non-issue when you weigh the options. Women tend to be diggers, not giving up until they find what they need.
All of these traits are what has made the changes and will continue to do so. We also need to push for change. We need to embrace our strengths and understand what you value. With all our force, we can collectively make the world a better place for all genders. Stand up for who you are and be counted.