While watching President-elect Obama and his staff having a meeting in the news today, it dawned to me that out of the 20 or so people sitting around the table, there were only about 3 females. Why? Are we less productive? Less capable? Less educated than men?
In Brunei, for example, this year alone about 80 per cent of UBD graduates were females but I bet this percentage does not reflect the number of female high-ranking officers (directors and above) in the government sector or even in the private sector. OK forget Brunei, according to Fortune magazine, in 2007 women made up only 2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs.
I found this interesting article from Slate that explains why we still live in a male-dominated world. Apparently, there are three reasons: 1) women are more risk-averse. 2) conscious discrimination still exists and 3) unconscious discrimination (despite women working harder). And according to this article, mothers earn 75 percent as much as men while childless women earn 95 percent as much as men of the same age and the same job.
Oh dear, apparently we women still can’t have it all.
Salaam.
Click here for the list of 50 Most Powerful Women in the world.
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6 comments:
Globally, the trend has been that women are becoming more and more empowered. As more and more are endeavoring for advanced careers instead of starting a family or delaying motherhood, we should see more and more female leadership in our social structures.
However lets assume an extreme ideology of removing all barriers to competition between genders (no gender based discrimination) and lets throw in more than an average dose of affirmative action. Result: ALL women can compete fairly in the system.
If MANY (or dare I say ALL) of the women will delay motherhood, or even worse forgo it, in order to maintain the status quo (of fair competition), a LIBERTY (gender rights) then becomes an IDIOCRACY when we have DINK (Dual Income No Kids) households, being unable to bear (*smart) children (or no children at all), with the lower class having MANY children.
Already our appetite for more and more civil liberties are challenging the definition of a 'household'. Today's civil libertarians are pushing the agenda to include same-sex members into the definition of a family.
I'm sure there is an elegant equilibrium that can exist between this liberty (gender equality) and the needs of a 'happy traditional' society. I think that is why the religion (in Brunei's case) is used to ensure that this liberty is kept from being tinkered with. However, with regards to islam, I think there should be some leeway in reintepretation to accomodate female leadership. I think that thisis the primary reason why Brunei has not yet received a female minister (not counting princess masna)
I, for one, am close friends with Australian Senator (and Minister for Climate Change and Water) Penny Wong. She was born in KK, Sabah (not far from Brunei). Given that she is responsible for 2 of the most important issues facing Australia (climate change effecting the agricultural economy and water resource with urban sustainability) it was no coincidence why she was given the portfolio. As a female leader she chooses more dialogue over confrontation (at the IPCC and Kyoto protocol), appeals to motherly instincts (as member of senate select committees for migration matters and diversity) and is the toughest bitch you can have on your team.
ALL women can compete fairly in the system.
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I think that thisis the primary reason why Brunei has not yet received a female minister (not counting princess masna)
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