Every step forward for women illuminates several more strides we need to make—for women in general, for our future opportunities, and for vulnerable and underrepresented groups of women. This week, we celebrate and shine a spotlight on areas of progress; from representation and women in leadership positions to racial diversity and the ways we talk about women—as well as the many steps forward still needed for women in all areas of life. Keep fighting for one another, and keep investing in—and believing in—women!
Women CEOs’ Highest Representation on the Fortune 500 List Still Isn’t Enough, from Forbes—“Female CEOs represent just 37, or 7.4 percent, of the top 500 companies on the list. Undoubtedly, it’s a mark of progress. It’s the largest representation of women ever on the list. In fact, over the last 20 years, Fortune 500 women CEOs increased 18 times over. But that’s not saying a lot, since only two women made the list 20 years ago. [...] despite a few peaks and valleys, the number of women on the list has been steadily increasing. But women still aren’t getting as many opportunities as their male counterparts.”
The 19th Amendment Is 100 Years Old. Voting Rights Are Still Far From Equal, from Fast Company—“The founder and CEO of Pipeline Equity points out that women of color had to wait until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to have free and fair access to the ballot box. And unfortunately, the road to universal enfranchisement didn’t end there.”
Why Does the Phrase ‘Woman Scientist’ Even Exist?, from Scientific American—“[Katherine Sharp] Landdeck has a point. As she says, ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.’ She’s never heard a woman introduce herself as ‘a woman pilot,’ just as I’ve never heard a scientific colleague introduce herself as ‘a woman scientist,’ but our very existence makes us stand out nonetheless.”
It Is Time for Blockchain to Prioritize Diversity and Inclusion, from Cointelegraph—“The lack of gender and racial diversity in the tech space is no longer a ‘secret.’ According to data from Statista, while the percentage of employed women across all job sectors in the United States has grown to 47 percent, the five largest tech companies on the planet — Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft — have a workforce of only about 34.4 percent women. This misrepresentation extends to the C-suite as well, with 31 percent of large tech companies lacking any women of color as executives.”
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