Three Key Words About Women Leadership: Reality, Beyond, Grow
Reality: The Data Reveals a Gap
Women-empowerment is something I value very much, especially as I get older. When I was younger, I worked in law firms and I worked long hours just like my male colleagues. I didn’t encounter too many struggles as a woman on most days. It was just the life of a lawyer. Everyone was equal.
As I got older and more senior, I began noticing the differences between men and women: male colleagues are much more confident in pitching to clients and also asking for higher pay and promotions, while female colleagues (including myself) are much more reserved and hesitant to speak out for themselves. Women also have more to balance, such as when to have kids and how to take care of kids. These lead to a noticeable trend that women representation decreases rapidly at post-associate levels (see Women in Law Firms by McKinsey&Company).
Female founders and investors are also under represented. AllRaise is an organization with a mission to accelerate the success of female founders and investors, and the data about diversity is not optimistic.
