Catalyst Blog

A new blog is born! Last week, Catalyst’s second blog was launched. Dubbed Catalyst CanCon (short for Canadian content), this blog is penned by Toronto-based Deborah Gillis, Catalyst’s Vice President, North America.

In her introductory post, Deborah wrote that Catalyst CanCon is “an opportunity to extend the conversation in Canada and to share some of my thoughts, experiences, and reactions to change (or lack of change) in our workplaces and our society.” Deborah hopes to get a conversation going with CanCon—for readers “to agree, to argue, or to propose new ideas.”

Below is a cross-posting of Deborah’s most recent dispatch about the G(irls)20 Summit held in Toronto just prior to the G20 Summit.  She felt it demonstrated an enviable focus and spirit—3.4 billion girls cannot be ignored!

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Can 21 Girls Make a Difference?

Traditionally, the world’s 3.4 billion women have been neither seen nor heard when the predominantly male leaders of the wealthiest and most powerful nations meet.  But some new voices were raised in the lead-up to this year’s G20 Summit in Toronto, when 21 young women representing the G20 nations and the African Union gathered to chart a global strategy to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

I was privileged to review some of the applications for the 21 seats at the table.  After a long flight from Toronto for a business meeting in California, I got up at 4 a.m. to read amazing stories from accomplished and thoughtful young women.  Four hours later, when I left for work, I was refreshed, energized and inspired by their commitment to change the world. 

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Strike up the band! ForbesWoman called Catalyzing “an insightful blog,” and named it and the Catalyst website to its roster of the top 100 websites for women. Toronto hosted an inaugural G(irls) 20 Summit. Australia swore in its first female Prime Minister. Good news galore in this edition, but alas that isn’t the whole story. Read on for the not-so-good developments!

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Best of the Best

We’re five months old and going strong. ForbesWoman rounded up the best 100 websites for working women, and Catalyzing and the Catalyst website made the cut. “We looked for compelling and decidedly female-oriented content, outstanding design, an active community and frequent updates,” wrote ForbesWoman. A big thank you to the magazine and to readers like you!

READ: “Top 100 Websites for Women,” by Meghan Casserly and Jenna Goudreau, ForbesWoman, 6/23/10

Diversity Down Under

Australia swore in its first female Prime Minister, but gender equality still has a long way to go. “Just look at the upper echelons of business, the military, the churches and the federal public service, and you will see that women are as rare in these arenas as female prime ministers once were,” writes Anne Summers. “Now this barrier is broken, perhaps it is time to address the others.”

READ: “Historic Moment, but Barriers Remain for Half the Population,” by Anne Summers, The Age, 6/25/10

Girls Speak Up

Twenty-one girls representing each of the G20 nations and one from the African Union gathered in Toronto to discuss ways to fulfill United Nations goals that impact women and girls. “I would ask the leaders of the G20 nations to reduce the arms expenditures and instead use it for education,” said Aiki Segawa, the representative from Japan. Will the G20 leaders listen?

READ: “Girls Talk–Are G20 Leaders Listening?” by Craig and Marc Kielburger, Toronto Star, 6/21/10

Work and Life

Is it really about balance? For Judith Timson, the issue is the “separation” between work and the rest of life. “And here,” she writes, “no matter what stage we’re at, we’re failing.”

READ: “Work-life Balance? Can that Cliché,” by Judith Timson, Globe and Mail, 6/17/10

Tuning Out Women

According to American University’s Women & Politics Institute, female lawmakers have comprised 13.5% of the Sunday news show appearances by representatives and senators in 2010. Does the overrepresentation of men on the shows contribute to a tendency to “think-leader-think-male”?

READ: “Women Scarce on Sunday Shows,” by Erika Lovley, Politico, 6/13/10

Bridging the Gap

Long live the gender pay gap! “When the Equal Pay Act passed, women earned, on average, 60 cents for every dollar earned by men,” writes Linda Meric, Executive Director of 9to5 National Association of Working Women. “In the 47 years that have passed, the pay gap has closed by less than less than 20 cents.”

READ: “On 47th Anniversary, the Equal Pay Act Must Finally Live Up to its Name,” by Linda Meric, Huffington Post, 6/10/10

This week’s roundup includes a video promoting the Toronto-based 2010 G(irls)20 Summit, plus articles about the upcoming Equal Pay Day, Justice John Paul Stevens’ exit from the Supreme Court, boardrooms Down Under, and the unwritten rules that still hold women back. Oh, and a word to the wise: beware of the glass floor…

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Putting the ‘G’ in G20

This video vividly captures the impact every girl can have on their family, community, and the world. Inspired by the clip? Then apply by May 7^th to take part in the 2010 G(irls)20 Summit. From June 16th – 18th, 2010, a girl from each G20 country will meet in Toronto to craft recommendations for G20 leaders on issues that impact girls and women. Let your voice be heard— you can represent the world’s 3.3 billion girls and women.

Watch: “The Girl Effect,” GirlEffect.org/GirlsandWomen.com

 Mind the Gap

Equal Pay Day is just around the corner. April 20, 2010 symbolizes just how far into 2010 women must work to earn what men earned last year. On average, American women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man—and the gap has barely budged since 2001.

Read: “Not All Differences in Earnings Are Created Equal,” by Carl Bialik, The Wall Street Journal, April 10, 2010

 Supreme Parity

Columnist Charles M. Blow calls on Obama to replace Justice John Paul Stevens with a female justice. “The question isn’t why more women,” he writes, “but rather why not?”

Read: “O’Connor on the Court,” by Charles M. Blow, The New York Times, April 9, 2010

Dropping Down Under

Companies with a higher percentage of women on their boards do better, on average, than those with fewer. So why is the number of women in ASX200 boardrooms dropping?

Read: “The Fairest Board of All,” by Suzanne Daniel, WA Today, April 9, 2010

The Glass Floor

Channeling the message of our 2010 Awards Dinner Video, Larke Riemer, head of women’s markets at Westpac, said: “You’ve not only got a glass ceiling, you’ve got a glass floor. Who actually falls through the glass floor because they don’t get the support and the opportunities, so they leave?”

Read: “Time for Women to Tackle the ‘Hour-Glass’ Ceiling,” by Anneli Knight, The Sydney Morning Herald, April 8, 2010

Exposing Unwritten Rules

Catalyst research has found that unwritten rules play a major role in career advancement. Here are some tips on navigating these invisible, yet powerful forces.

Read: “6 Steps to Take On the Unwritten Rules Keeping Women out of Leadership Roles,” by Lynn Harris, The Glass Hammer, April 9, 2010