Working Women

The New York Times today ran a piece about how large Indian financial institutions have increasingly adjusted employment policies to make room at the leadership table for women. You can read the story here.

This reminds me of a report CBS did last fall when they interviewed the Vice Chair of our Board, Jacki Zehner, about research she recently collaborated on showing the difference between women's leadership and men's leadership. There is a difference and part of creating space for women in leadership positions is acknowledging the unique perspectives and talents women bring to the table. You can read more about Jacki's work and the CBS report on her blog, Purse Pundit, which you should definitely bookmark.

Anyways, the New York Times story, when read together with the report about Jacki, adds a nice context to the blog posting below about all the talk in Davos this week.

Regarding the photo choice, I cannot help but think about Melanie Griffith's role in "Working Girl" back in the '80s. Putting aside the seriousness for a moment, I think she rocked it. She also did a good job representing real women in "Cherry 2000," another '80s KlassiK.

On the Right Track?

The New York Times reports on Ladies Specials in India -- commuter rail cars reserved for women travelers only. These trains, similar to the ones in other large cities around the world, like Cairo, are in response to the growing number of working women contributing to India's explosive economic growth. As more women participate in morning and evening rush hours, they are being exposed to increasing harassment from fellow male passengers.

But are separate compartments the solution to such a complex problem? This article shows how widespread systemic change is needed to solve the interconnected problem of personal security -- not just in India, but around the world. The article points out that violence against women has increased along with higher rates of participation in the workforce.

Thankfully, women's funds are addressing complex problems like the ones highlighted by the increase in Ladies Special cars in India.

What do you think are some solutions that can be applied in this situation that involve all of society?