The Women We're Here For

Last evening, I had the privilege of bringing a new voice to the conversation at Women in the World: that of Marie, a 15-year-old woman who lost her parents to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. She is now caring for her younger siblings on her own.

As part of the Women in the World conference kick-off, “Woman I’m Here For,” several co-hosts shared our inspiration from women who might not otherwise have their voices heard. It was an emotional moment, and a powerful reminder of the amazing capacities of women to transform, grow, and thrive in the face of crisis.  

Where women lead... resilience follows."

Indeed, where women lead, informally or formally, resilience follows. Research has shown women to be more aware and adaptable to change, as well as more nurturing networkers, able to draw from all parts of an organization and community, and integrating under a shared vision for success.

That doesn't mean that with more women in charge bad things will suddenly cease to happen. In today’s globalized, urbanized, and rapidly changing world, disruption is inevitable. From breakdowns in the supply chain to extreme weather, not all disruptions can be prevented. But with more women in leadership positions—and not just white women, but women of all colors and backgrounds—and we can draw from a greater diversity of voices and experiences, which in turn, makes us all more resilient.

And so getting more women in to leadership positions is not just a matter of equality and progress, but a means to surviving and thriving in the 21st century world.

So what’s keeping us from achieving this?

There are pervading, systemic barriers, of course: inconsistent and inadequate maternity leave policies, for one. But many are internal barriers and stigmas that women have struggled with for generations. One is what I call the disease of people-pleasing, which is generally a young person’s ailment. So is the dichotomy of ambition and fear that one will be discovered to be not as intelligent or creative as others think we are. Many of these challenges are overcome with time and achievement, but if we can find ways to change these behaviors and visions earlier on in women’s careers, we could get more women into leadership pipelines.

It starts with strong role models. When I was first starting out in my career, role models were few and far between. Women who had successfully climbed the ladder had pulled the rungs up behind them, believing that my generation should work just as hard for our success as they did. While I’m grateful to my predecessors for the paths they paved, I’m glad to be among so many women leaders today who see mentorship and modeling as a key part of their responsibilities and job satisfaction.

In a recent survey, more than three-quarters of women expressed interest in impact investing... showing that women are likely to consider both financial profits and impact as important to business and investment decisions."

And women are increasingly taking the lead in ensuring organizations and investments are aligning with the goals of more inclusive economies and healthy, resilient societies, that will in turn, help people like Marie. In a recent survey, more than three-quarters of women expressed interest in impact investing—investments that generate a financial return as well as social and/or environmental impact. That was 15 percent higher than the number of men, showing that women are likely to consider both financial profits and impact as important to business and investment decisions.

I applaud Tina Brown and Women in the World for celebrating the many forms of women leaders, from those raising families in perilous conditions to those leading companies through crisis.

What women are you here for?

*Lead image credit: Cardborigami