The other day it occurred to me that women have evolved significantly in every decade since the 60s. From liberation, to equal rights and workforce opportunities, women have come a long way and yet we have quite a long way to go.
According to the Conference Board of Canada, women comprise about 14% of all Board Members in Canada, and only 10% in publicly traded companies. In addition, less than 6% of CEOs in the Financial Post top 500 companies are women. Women make up 48% of the labour force but only 0.32% hold senior management positions. From 1987-2009, there was no progress on this front, as men were 2-3 times more likely to hold a senior management position.1
Women today are intelligent, successful, and educated. We are hungrier, more ambitious then men in the workplace. We want more, expect more, and don't settle for less.
And yet we are torn between wanting more, and sacrificing our traditional roles for the same opportunities as men.
Yes, ours is a generation displaced from tradition. Look around. Women are marrying and having children later, or not at all. We've been anointed by our predecessors who blazed the trail of glory before us and left a small cloud of dust. We've inherited a responsibility to carry both the torch of liberation, and the burden of sacrifice. Somewhere along the way, we overlooked the hefty price in climbing the glass ceiling.
"I grew up with the notion that women could have it all. I was told I should fight for my right to earn a competitive salary that's based on my capabilities, not my gender. I was told it was my right to feel dignified and respected in the workplace. I was told all these wonderful tales of my entitlement. But I was never told it would come at this price. I am 30 and unmarried. I am healthy, successful, beautiful, and intelligent; but I don't know if I will ever marry."
1. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/press/speech_oped/12-04-20/women_in_senior_management—where_are_they.aspx
