It’s Still Lonely for Women at the Top
Yesterday was the 100 Anniversary of International Women’s Day 2011. Throughout the blogosphere there were opinions, even tributes. Arianna Huffington wrote an essay about her mother. Tina Brown, now editor-in-chief of Daily Beast and Newsweek was championing the second Women in the World Summit. And on Careerdiva.net Eve Tahmincioglu who didn’t want to blog about the day asked hard questions about the distance women have traveled and what they need to still accomplish.
Now, it seems that many women are heeding the motto of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright who recently spoke at Ted Women and said, “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.”
There are several grass roots organizations that have gained traction recently and are poised to assist qualified women gain a place on corporate boards. DirectWomen, 2020 Women on Boards currently in Boston but expects to expand nationwide this year, and WomenCorporateDirectors in 27 cities worldwide are all gaining visibility.
Recently Mary Ann Jorgenson, an attorney and CEO of DirectWomen provided a brief overview of the organization. It had its start as part of an American Bar Association initiative to identify board ready qualified female attorneys. The attorney’s who go through an intensive 2 ½ day program are selected by a competitive winnowing process (only 1 in 5 makes it through) and are chosen in part for their business judgment and problem solving skills. Of 60 womenwho have participated, 15 now sit on corporate boards.
Ms. Jorgenson says the biggest impediment may be the mind sets of those screening for the boards. “They want other CEO’s,” she said. Still she said attorneys, especially those with experience in risk mangement and regulatory issues, may be more in tune with the current needs of corporations.
What’s your experience with women’s organizations?
