![]() I married an American during the Gulf War, which prompted a move to Washington, D.C. Say yes to new opportunities and take calculated risks. If you are a parent to a young girl, you can encourage her to start as early as middle school! For example, suggest that she join a mixed gender soccer team, the traditionally male-dominated debate or robotics team, or volunteer for a service activity with a big group in order to meet people of different ages, genders and interests.ĥ. Industry associations, service clubs like Rotary and new business groups for common outcomes like climate action are great opportunities to broaden your networks. If you don't get outside your comfort zone, you're never going to create change. I’ll never forget the CEO of the Stock Exchange in Australia telling me there were so few women on boards because they just weren’t visible to male decision makers. Engage in networks distinctly outside of your comfort zone. Build a network of like-minded colleagues and/or friends who can also act as confidants - a peer network of mutual moral support.Ĥ. Rather than making an open-ended request of a busy person to “be your mentor,” instead ask, “Would you speak to me about your career path for three sessions of 15 minutes each over the next two months?” Most people will not refuse such a request.ģ. I always recommend to young women that they create a structured mentoring relationship that is time-bound. ![]() We need to fix the system, not the women!Ģ. Recognize that you are not the problem when you encounter a gender-based barrier! So often we think we are the problem when really the system is the problem. The first woman to lead the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, “was a terrific mentor and advocate for change,” says Ellis, and helped to spearhead what is a now billion-dollar fund.Įllis has this advice for women and girls who face gender-based barriers or have difficulty perceiving themselves in leadership roles.ġ. The International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, has been instrumental in helping women overcome the additional barriers they face when seeking financing. In 2022, out of the 190 countries covered, none has yet achieved full gender equality – and worse, only 12 nations even legislate for full gender equality!Īt the same time, Ellis is pleased to see progress in the access women in developing countries have gained to finance, in large part thanks to credit lines offered explicitly to women entrepreneurs. The transformative impact of women’s economic empowerment at societal and national levels became her real passion while at the World Bank, where she led gender and growth assessments for Ministers of Finance in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Later, as inaugural national manager for women in business at Westpac Banking Corporation in Australia and lead specialist in gender at the World Bank, she became increasingly inspired by incredible women around her succeeding against all odds. Joining with colleagues to create the Ministry’s first women’s network created pressure to end the discrimination. Not long after, Ellis joined the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a young diplomat – and was shocked to discover that she was not allowed to attend meetings held at private all-male clubs. This ignited her passion for gender equality. ![]() They should focus on sewing,” says Ellis. ![]() As a child, Ellis was troubled by the lack of academic content offered at her all-girls school in a small town in New Zealand, where the attitude was, “young ladies needn’t bother about math and science.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |