Women and 100 Years of Voting Rights!

Let’s take a few moments today to pay homage to the brave women and men who came before us, fighting so that 50% of our world could have more than a modicum of rights – they could have a voice. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote in the United States of America. It opened the door for political reform that has given women and minorities more of an opportunity to chase the American dream. Here is a cool article and visual timeline of the Women’s suffrage movement.

And while great progress has been made in the US and around the world since that date…

We still have a long, long way to go.

• We have never had a female head of state unlike many other, modern countries such as Denmark, Germany, Iceland, UK, Ukraine, New Zealand, and Norway.
• Women make up >50% of the population, 60% of graduates with master’s degrees, yet only 7.4% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. And when you start to layer race on top of that, there are major disparities for both men and women.
• Unlike every other first world country, the US is the only one without a policy supporting maternity leave. It’s no wonder that so many women end up dropping out of the workforce to care for family members at a rate alarmingly higher than men. Learn more about female breadwinners.

Why does it matter? Aside from the obvious answer that we should all care about and fight for equality, female led corporations outperform male-dominated corporations (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

Want to challenge your own perception? Take this implicit gender bias test.

Follow the H&R Block Women's Network here on LinkedIn. The Women’s Network connects, helps and motivates women in their pursuit of professional success and personal fulfillment. We carry out our mission through clear objectives and intentional programming:

• ADVOCATE – Champion the value of diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Offer resources, networking and a sense of belonging.
• EDUCATE – Deliver developmental content focused on satisfying curiosity, building leadership skills, and elevating confidence. Increase awareness and conversations around gender issues.
• INSPIRE – Promote a safe space to share stories. Advocate promotion of women as influencers and thought leaders. Celebrate women breaking barriers and accomplishing great things.
• CHANGE – Create collective impact by increased numbers of female leaders throughout the organization and more female associates seeking and holding board positions within their communities.

Don’t miss out on your chance to vote this year! ??