Summary: gender equality in the workplace is not just an efficient use of human resources, it is a hedge against unproductive distraction.
I wish it were BIC pens that this room full of VC industry males were wielding around rather than their egos!
Being the one woman in the room, I felt like stepping outside so that the men could stop acting like boys, put their egos to rest, and concretely think about the business that was being presented to them.
The necessity for equality in the boardroom, especially in terms of Venture Capital, is not just a moral battle, it is a matter of productivity.
In a capitalistic economy, we are human resources, and if you think about making the most efficient use of a resource — you can clearly see that a gender-bias approach is counterproductive.
The next time you are in a room full of unaccompanied men, observe how they react to an attractive woman entering the room. How many company meetings fell into an egotistical battle which could have been leveled out with the presence of the opposite gender? It is easily observed that groups have a much more balanced reaction to female presence when they are made up of a mix of both male and female counterparts.
To be fair, when the tables have been turned, I have encountered the same type of catty conduct when the room is filled with all women.
Productivity requires tapping into all of an economy’s resources in an unbiased even-handed method. An all women workplace can be just as detrimental as an all-male workplace!
Let’s be balanced and seek equality if for nothing more than to achieve a higher level of productivity.
THE end, but pleases let us continue the discussion …
Jessica Contreras is the Co-Founder/Manager of Women’s Innovation Fund Accelerator — WIF AX, LLC. — an investment fund focused on building women-balanced organizations within Qualified Opportunity Zones.
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