Catalyst Blog

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…

 ———————————————————————————————————

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

Back in 2005, I received a flurry of interview requests concerning Laura Bush’s selection of Cristeta Comerford as White House executive chef—a first for a woman.

Yes, it’s an achievement, I noted, but I was not surprised she got the job. I was amazed that it had taken more than 200 years for a woman to land this top culinary position!

And what’s worse, the buzz surrounding Comerford’s appointment as head chef eclipsed news about George W. Bush’s plan to replace Sandra Day O’Connor with a male Supreme Court Justice. “Out of the courtroom and into the kitchen,” I thought at the time.

Kathryn Bigelow’s best director Oscar for The Hurt Locker reminded me of the Comerford episode. Bigelow rightfully earned a spot in the annals of female firsts for her gripping film about men at war. (Another irony, perhaps?) But it’s 2010. We shouldn’t be surprised that a woman has actually won the top honor in this category. We should be shocked that it has taken 82 years for it to happen!

Let’s not get distracted by the narrative of female firsts. After all, firsts only go so far.

In 1917, Kate Gleason became the first woman president of a national bank, 50 years later Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1972 Katherine Graham became the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company. These are all important firsts—but women are still nowhere near half of Fortune 500 CEOs, executive officers, or board members in the United States today.

The same is true for women in the film industry. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film produces a wealth of information about the so-called celluloid ceiling. Its latest report found that in 2009:

- Women comprised 16% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films, a decline of 3 percentage points from 2001 and a figure unchanged from 2008.

- Women accounted for 7% of directors, a decrease of 2 percentage points from 2008 and a figure even with the rate in 1987.

This data reminds me that an overemphasis on the importance of “being first” can distract us from what’s really important. In the case of women and work, it can obscure the deep inequities that still exist.