Women's History Month

Home , Elizabeth Blackwell, Muriel Siebert

DiversityInc Women’s History Month MEETING IN A BOX For ALL employees

1. HISTORIC TIMELINE

e recommend you start your Discussion Questions for Employees employees’ cultural-competence Wlesson on the increasing value of having women in leadership What have been the most Why are “firsts” important to note? ??? significant changes in women’s ??? What other barrier breakers have positions by using this historic timeline. roles in the past 50 years? In you witnessed in your lifetime? It’s important to note how women’s the past 10 years? roles have evolved, how flexible work This is a personal discussion Ask the employees why they designed to help the employee note arrangements allow more women think there has been so much other barrier breakers historically to combine family and professional rapid change and, most (cite Elizabeth Blackwell, Muriel responsibilities, and how many glass importantly, if it’s enough. Have Siebert and female CEOs, available ceilings still have not been shattered. women talk about their own at www.DiversityInc.com/fortune- The timeline shown here illustrates experiences and men talk about 500-ceos). This discussion can be significant dates in women’s history and the experiences of their wives, further explored after the facts & major historic figures. daughters, sisters and friends. figures section below is discussed.

2. FACTS & FIGURES

fter discussion of the timeline, the Discussion Questions for Employees next step is to review available Adata and understand areas in Why has it been so difficult to get girls and women into STEM (Science, Technology, which women have made significant ??? progress in the United States but major Engineering and Mathematics) positions and what should schools and companies do to change that? opportunities remain. What are the best ways to convince girls (early) of the benefits of math and science? The data we have chosen to present here represents information of relevance to How do you get more women in your company interested in operational roles versus corporate America, such as education traditional support/staff roles? (available labor pool), business Why do you think women represent less than 5 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs? ownership, and progress in gaining Who do you see as the leading female role models in your company? executive and management positions. Reference www.DiversityInc.com/fortune-500-ceos and have a higher-level discussion Where applicable, national data is on what it takes to become a senior executive at your company, the role of resource compared with DiversityInc Top 50 data, groups and mentoring in supporting this, and what the employees see as valuable ways to to show what progress the leading D&I increase the pipeline. companies are making. Do women have different management styles than men? How is having a woman boss and/or mentor different? Use this teachable moment to honestly discuss different styles, including confrontation/ criticism, self-promotion/branding and decision making. For more information, go to www.DiversityIncBestPractices.com/diversityinc-top-50-women-ceos

3. FIVE THINGS NEVER TO SAY TO EXECUTIVE WOMEN DOWNLOAD YOUR Our popular “Things NOT to Say” series includes these interviews with three DOCUMENTS women leaders about offensive phrases they’ve heard in the workplace and how

DiversityInc Women’s History Month best to respond to them to further cultural-competence education. MEETING IN A BOX Timeline 1967 Muriel Siebert becomes first woman 1987 Congress declares March as Timeline to own a seat on New York Stock National Women’s History Month Exchange 1990 Dr. Antonia Novello becomes the first 1972 Title IX bans gender discrimination woman (and first Latino) Surgeon in federally funded education General programs 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act 1972 Katharine Graham of The Washington provides job protection and leave for Post Co. becomes first woman CEO of family, medical issues Blackwell Woodhull Friedan a Fortune 500 company 1993 Janet Reno becomes first woman 1789 U.S. Constitution is ratified. The 1924 Miriam Ferguson (Texas) and Nellie 1972 Shirley Chisholm becomes first Attorney General terms “persons,” “people” and Tayloe Ross (Wyoming) become first woman to run for president from a “electors” allow for interpretation women elected governor major party 1994 Gender Equity in Education Act of those beings to include men and women 1932 Amelia Earhart becomes first woman Discussion Questions for Employees to fly solo across Atlantic 1837 Oberlin College in Ohio becomes first coeducational college in U.S. 1932 Hattie Caraway of Arkansas becomes first woman elected to Senate 1839 Mississippi becomes first state to grant married women right to hold 1933 Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins property in their own names becomes first woman Cabinet member 1848 First women’s rights convention is held, to sign the Declaration of 1934 Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans is first Rights and Sentiments woman to serve on board of directors Chisholm Collins Chao of a major corporation, The Coca- 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell becomes first Cola Company woman to earn medical degree 1973 In Roe v. Wade, Supreme Court 1997 Madeleine Albright becomes first 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act establishes protects woman’s right to terminate woman Secretary of State 1869 First women’s suffrage law is minimum wage without regard to pregnancy passed, in territory of Wyoming gender 1997 Small Business Administration 1977 Secretary of Housing and Urban Administrator Aida Alvarez 1872 Susan B. Anthony is arrested for 1955 First lesbian organization in U.S., Development Patricia Harris becomes first Latina to hold trying to vote Daughters of Bilitis, is founded becomes first Black woman Cabinet Cabinet-level position member 1872 Victoria Claflin Woodhull becomes 1963 Equal Pay Act is passed by Congress 1998 Supreme Court rules that employers first woman presidential candidate, to close gender pay gap 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act are liable for workplace sexual for the Equal Rights Party prohibits discrimination “on basis harassment 1963 Betty Friedan’s The Feminine of pregnancy, childbirth, or related 1916 Jeannette Rankin of Montana Mystique is published medical conditions” 1999 Eileen Collins becomes first woman becomes first woman elected to to command shuttle mission Congress 1964 Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964 1981 Sandra Day O’Connor becomes first prohibits employment discrimination woman Supreme Court justice 2001 Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao What other phrases have you heard addressed to women and others 1920 19th Amendment gives women right on basis of race, color, religion, becomes first Asian-American to vote national origin or sex 1982 More women than men receive woman Cabinet member bachelor’s degrees 2007 Nancy Pelosi becomes first woman ??? 1984 In Roberts v. United States Jaycees, Speaker of the House Supreme Court prohibits public organizations from refusing 2008 Hillary Clinton becomes only First membership because of gender Lady to run for president

1984 Geraldine Ferraro becomes first 2009 Sonia Sotomayor becomes first from underrepresented groups? major-party woman vice-presidential Latina Supreme Court justice nominee

Albright Clinton Sotomayor

© 2013 DiversityInc Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Catalyst, Center for American Women and Politics, Infoplease.com, National Women’s History Project, Women’s International Center Discuss how these phrases and stereotypes impact office morale

DiversityInc Women’s History Month and productivity. For more information on this topic, go to www. MEETING IN A BOX Facts&Figures Facts &

BUSINESS Women in Senior Management Women CEOs DiversityInc Top 50 Fortune 500 DiversityInc Figures DiversityInc.com/john-amaechi and www.DiversityInc.com/claude-steele Top 50 6.0% vs. 4.2% 28.0%

U.S.

25 14.4% Men Irene Rosenfeld, Kraft Virginia M. Rometty, Patricia20 Hemingway Women Foods Group, No. 7 in IBM, No. 17 Hall, Health Care Service the DiversityInc Top 50 DiversityInc Top 50 22.9% Fortune 500 16.6% Corporation, No. 19 What role do you think the company should play when offensive 15 Women on Board of Directors Earning Power 10 Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s 5

76.3% 76.9% 77% 0 DiversityInc1997-200 Top 50 2 Fortune2002-200 500 7 comments occur? 69.9% 22.9%61.000 16.6% 76.3% 76.9% 77% Men 59.2% 59.625 69.9% Women 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 58.250 U.S. Business56.875 Ownership 59.2% 33.2% (% Change) 1997–2002 Wives Earning More Than 55.500 Their1981 1991Husbands2001 2006 2011 Women 19.8% Women Men 29.8% W54.125omen’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’sMen 15.9% 33.2% 27.6% 19.8%198152.750 59.2% 20.1% 2002–2007 199151.37515.9% 69.9% Women 20.1% 2001 29.8%2006 2011 Women’s Earnings as a Percentage of Men’s 200150.000 76.3% Men 5.4% Have the employees talk about under what circumstances they would 27.6% 19812006 59.2%76.9% 2000 2010 2020 1991 69.9% 2001 2006 2011 2011 77.0% 5.4% 2001 76.3% 1997-2002 2002-2007 2006Earning 76.9% Power EDUCATION 2011Percentage 77.0% of Wives Earning More Than Their % College Students Who Are Women Husbands Earning Power report offensive comments and what they believe the company should Undergraduate Graduate 2001 27.6% Pe2006rcentage 29.8% of60.4% Wives Earning More Than Their 58.7% 58.2% Husbands2011 33.2% 56.1% 56.2% 56.7% 2001 27.6% 34.0 2006 29.8%MORE THAN MEN 2011 33.2% 2000 2010 32.6 2020 Sources: DiversityInc, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Catalyst, Fortune, National Center for Education34. Statistics,0 © 2013 DiversityInc National Committee on Pay Equity, U.S. Census Bureau MORE THAN MEN do. Get advice from DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti at 31.2 32.6 29.8 31.2 80 VS. 28.MEN4 29.8 75 27.0 80 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 VS. 28.MEN4 www.DiversityInc.com/atwg-offensive-language 70 75 27.0 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 35 65 MORE THAN MEN 70 Women’s History Month 60 DiversityInc 35 65 MEETING IN A BOX MORE THAN MEN 55 Further Reading 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 60 30

55 Things 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 30 After today’s lesson, what would you do if you overheard a colleague Beyond ‘Slut’ on their looks. Comments on weight and/or the same position is perceived as doing his physical appearance should not be made to job. One of the ways that negativity can be 25 1981& ‘Sweetie’1991 200 1 2006 201anyone1 in a business setting, as they imply a expressed is by attributing the behavior to level of personal familiarity. They also suggest hormonal changes. It is never appropriate to the person was fat or looked bad before. And comment on a female coworker’s menstrual the person25 might have an undisclosed illness, cycle or hormones. But how should a woman 1981 1991 2001 2006 2011 NOT which would obviously make the comment deal with the situation if she is the recipient Things even more rude. of such a comment? Bell suggests that women find evidence of a male employee make one of these comments? behaving the same way, which can help NEVER Any kind of generate awareness for this common sexual comment. stereotype of women. 3Not only do sexual innuendos and to Say to Say to derogatory terms like “slut” make the female employee on the receiving end feel “You aren’t as aggressive embarrassed and offended, they also create with your subordinates as Women a problem for the rest of the workplace 5you should be. You need to environment. be more forceful and tougher.” Think your top women employees will “These are code words for being more at Work stick around if they know a company does ‘manly,’” says Barbara Frankel, Senior not promote and enforce equal respect? Vice President and Executive Editor of Continue the discussion with each employee having a plan of action on DiversityInc. “There are many different successful styles to manage people. What Before you make that “Is it that time of “harmless” little comment to the month?” or “She’s so the woman in the next office, 4emotional.” There’s a preconceived notion that women take a look at things women cannot handle stress and tend to get too leaders tell us are absolute “personally invested” in their work. Dr. Ella how to address offensive language. Bell, Associate Professor of Business no-no’s in the workplace. Administration at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, speaks very Terms of “endearment” passionately about her work. As such, she immediately took offense when such as “sweetie,” a senior male colleague said to her: “hon” or “cutie.” 1 “You sure wear your heart on your This is when a term of endearment becomes sleeve.” anything but endearing. In the workplace, That “ticked me off because such language can be interpreted as I always try to be concrete. I degrading or belittling. interpreted it as my work wasn’t making intellectual sense,” recalls Bell. “I did pull him over on the “You’ve lost weight” side afterward and explained how or “You look it made me feel and that it was 2so much better.” inappropriate.” Bell notes, however, Women as well as men may enjoy compliments that she was hesitant to speak up on their looks. But saying this to a female at first as she did not want to draw more coworker or executive at an inappropriate time negative attention. can make female coworkers feel as though When a female executive is forceful their skills and work are not taken seriously— or aggressive, she can be received in that male counterparts are focusing only a negative way, but a man in