Gender Equality

Why Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg must resign

Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, has become one of the clearest and most articulate voices on corporate gender diversity.Yet her facts, arguments, and eloquence, haven’t reached Sandberg’s closest colleague. It seems that even a woman at the top can’t convince the man she works side-by-side with.

How many women has Mark Zuckerberg put on Facebook’s board?

There are none. Facebook is run by white men. This shows both a lack of confidence in Sandberg and an apparent disinterest in the relevant research. Sheryl Sandberg now has the opportunity to call him on it.

February 6, 2012 | 33 Comments
Gender Equality

A manifesto for action on gender in research and innovation

A manifesto has emerged from the European Gender Summit, held in Brussels in November, 2011. The manifesto is the result of a public consultation building on the recommendations of of the genSET project and others. The European Commission invited the scientific community to recommend specific actions that could strengthen the role of women in science and innovation in its new research program, Horizon 2020.

February 2, 2012 | comments
Gender Equality

Women matter 2010: women at the top of corporations: making it happen

The fourth and final Women Matter report from McKinsey, Women at the top of corporations: making it happen (WM4), gives us good research and a strengthened foundation on which to expand policies and practices.

How will you get the attention of your top leadership? How will you implement development programs and institutionalize the work of gender diversity? Find your answers to these questions. Your organization’s success depends on it!

January 31, 2012 | 1 Comment
Gender Equality

Women matter 3: women leaders, a competitive edge in and after the crisis

Organizations that successfully navigate crises have leaders who provide direction and inspire action. Those that survive and flourish after a crisis have leaders who also create an environment for innovation.

An organization’s capacity to lead through and beyond a crisis can be nurtured and enhanced. Increasing gender diversity in the organizations’ leadership team can help. Diversity gives a greater variety of leadership styles. And that variety, especially in a crisis, will contribute to survival.

January 26, 2012 | comments
Gender Equality

Women matter 2: female leadership, a competitive edge for the future

The leadership behaviors favored by women are the ones most relevant for conquering tomorrow’s challenges.

Gender diversity feeds organizational excellence because men and women differ in how they use leadership behaviors.

With more women in leadership positions, companies will be rated higher on those components of organizational excellence that are positively influenced by the leadership behaviors that women favor.

January 23, 2012 | 8 Comments
Gender Equality

Women matter: gender diversity, a corporate performance driver

Gender diversity makes organizations better workplaces. Gender diversity makes organizations more profitable.

These are the central conclusions from Women matter: gender diversity, a corporate performance driver. In the five years since its appearance, McKinsey & Company’s report has become one of the most visible works on the value of gender diversity.

As we work together to develop the best arguments for enhanced gender balance in academia, we can look to Women Matter for inspiration.

January 19, 2012 | 3 Comments
Gender Equality

Norway’s Gender Equality Prize for 2011 goes to the University of Tromsø

The University of Tromsø was awarded Norway’s Gender Equality Prize for 2011, which includes a check for two million Norwegian crowns.

“Gender equality work at the University of Tromsø is clearly a prestige project for the university leadership, which sees gender balance as a prerequisite for success. This is how things should be at every university and college,” said Minister for Research and Higher Education Tora Aasland as she awarded the prize.

This is the fifth time The Ministry of Education and Research has awarded its Gender Equality Prize. The prize is intended to strengthen and motivate universities, colleges and research institutes in their work for gender equality.

January 17, 2012 | 1 Comment
Gender Equality

6 steps towards gender balance in 2012

Increasing gender balance in organizations is about improving the quality of the workplace for everyone. Improving the quality of the workplace feeds institutional goals across the board. Making the value of diversity in a workforce visible must become an integral part of leadership development programs. These 6 steps helped the University of Tromsø increase diversity 50% in four years. Learn more…

January 2, 2012 | 2 Comments