Blog

In banking crisis, clamors for more women in top jobs

Amidst the growing global financial crisis, an industry long dominated by men is doing some soul searching about the implications of gender imbalances among its staff, a new article in the Washington Post reports. Banks, hedge funds and other financial organizations that have led the international economy's demise are male-dominated. So are the regulators and legislators assigned to oversee the financiers. Inevitably, they are also the ones being blamed for the current situation.

Women leaders at Davos

This year's World Economic Forum gathering at Davos included a much buzzed-about session on the "Girl Effect on Development," during which world leaders discussed how to best help girls and young women in developing nations. But a new article in BusinessWeek argues that the forum's own leadership structure lacks gender balance.

As layoffs continue, women may surpass men in the job force in the United States

A new article in the New York Times explores how the recession is impacting women and men in the labor force. According to the latest data, 82 percent of recent job losses have befallen men, mainly because men are over-represented in distressed industries like manufacturing and construction. Women tend to be employed in areas like education and health care, which are less sensitive to the current economic crisis. As a result, women may soon find themselves for the first time in the majority in the labor force.

Adolescent Girls Initiative takes spotlight at Davos

Amidst discussions about the best way to enginner an economic turnaround at this year's World Economic Forum at Davos, world leaders were also eager to focus on helping girls and young women in developing nations. "The Girl Effect on Development" event ranked fourth in session sign-ups among all panels at this year's forum. Writers from Forbes and the Huffington Post blogged about the event, proclaiming it "incredible."

Using the strength of women to rebuild the world economy

A guest blog by Holly Humphrey from Ernst & Young - At a time when our global economy is facing its greatest challenge in decades, corporations and governments must capitalize on the contributions women can make. A new report by our Forum member Ernst & Young lays out the case for urgent action and renewed emphasis on women as a key resource to move businesses and economies ahead.

Are lipstick sales a benchmark for gloomy times?

A new article in the Economist investigates recent claims that lipstick sales go up in difficult times. The phenomenon was first noticed during the Depression, when cosmetic sales increased by 25 percent. In the fall of 2001, following the September 11 terrorist attacks, sales of Estee Lauder lipstick went up by 11 percent. Estee Lauder executives have even coined a term - the Lipstick Effect -for the theory that a consumer turns to less expensive indulgences, such as lipstick, when they feel less confident about the future.

Private sector leaders focus on expanding women's economic opportunities at the World Economic Forum

The current financial crisis was high on the agenda at this year's World Economic Forum annual meeting of political and business leaders at Davos. But so was a focus on women's economic empowerment.

Business schools step up efforts to attract women to executive MBAs

A new article in the Wall Street Journal focuses on how business schools are stepping up their efforts to increase female enrollment at their executive programs. Women currently make up less than 20 percent of students at executive programs, though this percentage is as low as 5 percent at some schools. In comparison, they make up about 30 percent of the class at top full-time MBA programs, and more than 40 percent at part-time programs.

Girls gain edge in new technologies

A new report, authored by Intuitive Media and the University of Hertfordshire, finds that girls are more likely to use new technologies at home, and are more likely to be helped by their mothers with their learning.

Measuring global gender gaps

The World Economic Forum recently released its annual 2008 Global Gender Gap Report. The report assesses the size of the gender gap in four critical areas of inequality between men and women in 130 countries: 1) Economic participation and opportunity; 2) Educational attainment; 3) Political empowerment; 4) Health and survival. The index measures how well countries are dividing resources and opportunities between their male and female populations, regardless of their overall level of resources.