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Women and Mobile: A Global Opportunity

Guest blogger: Henriette Kolb, Director, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Did you know that women in developing countries are almost a quarter less likely to own a mobile phone than men? Or that you can use a mobile phone to find a job, access a bank account and improve financial literacy? A new report by the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the GSMA Development Fund demonstrates why this gap matters. This is the first global study of its kind, quantifying the gender gap in the mobile phone industry in low and middle-income countries and showing why it makes socio-economic sense for women to use mobile phones. The foundation is now working to support organizations promoting mobile uptake for women in business. If you would like to get involved, you can email the foundation (enquiries@cherieblairfoundation.org).

Women | Tools | Technology Competition

Our new forum member ExxonMobil has teamed up with Ashoka's Changemakers and ICRW to sponsor an exciting challenge to help advance women's economic opportunities in developing nations. The challenge - called Women | Tools | Technology: Building Opportunities & Economic Power - is to look for ideas to enable women to access and use the power and tools of technology to expand their economic opportunities. A recent ICRW paper further explores the importance of this issue. Those interested can enter online for a chance to win a prize of $5,000. The deadline for the challenge is April 14, 2010.

Women in the 21st century

In an intriguing new series of articles, columns and multimedia reports entitled The Female Factor: A Seat at the Table, the International Herald Tribune is exploring women's place in the 21st century around the world. This January, articles have focused on the effects of Norway's legislation mandating a 40% quote of women on boards of companies, U.S. military efforts to empower Afghan businesswomen, or the dearth of women on Wall Street. Yet another article examines the growing power of female bankers in India, showing how a supportive industry environment has led to a wealth of women in management.

The new economics of marriage

The Pew Research Center has just published some interesting new research on the changes the institution of marriage has undergone in recent years, as women have outpaced men in education and earnings growth. Their research finds that there has been a 'gender role reversal in both the spousal characteristics and the economic benefits of marriage.' While in the past, the economic gains of marriage were larger for women, these gains are now larger for men. As the article points out, a typical man did not gain another breadwinner in the household when he married forty years ago - and now he does!

Uncovering unconscious bias

It is increasingly accepted that diversity training in companies should also address unconscious or implicit bias. Since unconscious bias can result in discrimination against certain groups, addressing it is important to ensure a fair and equitable workplace. One helpful tool in the process is Project Implicit. Project Implicit is a research effort by Harvard University, University of Virginia, and the University of Washington to demonstrate how well-intentioned people can sometimes make decisions that are colored by our biases. Go to their website to get started and take a sample Implicit Association Test.

Female power

Two new articles in The Economist are focused on measuring women's progress in the workforce. The articles track women's participation in the labor force over the past few decades and note that females are likely to soon make up the majority of the American workforce. The Economist concludes, "Women's economic empowerment is arguably the biggest social change of our times."

Increasing the numbers of women on boards in Australia

Women's advocates have been pressuring for stronger action to increase the numbers of women on boards of Australian companies. Women currently make up only 8.3% of line directors of Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) 200 listed companies - a very low figure considering their advancements in other spheres of life in the country. But women are not only underrepresented on Australian boards. Around the world, there are few females to be found on boards of major companies.

Girl brides and gender inequality in Yemen

A new article in the Washington Post puts the spotlight on the plight of young girl brides in Yemen and highlights the severe gender inequality in this country. With no minimum age for marriage, girls in this nation are often forced to marry and have children as soon as they reach puberty. Yet, this is only one of many issues facing Yemeni women. According to the Yemen Post, women's unemployment rates are a high 39%, compared to 16% for men. Unsurprisingly, Yemen ranks 134th out of 134 countries included in the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index, which measures how well nations around the world are dividing resources between their male and female populations.

How resourceful American women are weathering the recession

With the economy in decline and job prospects uncertain, more and more American women have come to a turning point in their careers. A new article in Enterprising Women magazine explores these trends and offers a surprising conclusion: for many women, turning to entrepreneurship rather than looking for a new job has turned out to be the perfect way to make money as well as fulfill longstanding dreams. The article chars the journey of several budding women entrepreneurs and offers inspiration to others contemplating a similar switch. It is based on a project to collect stories of women undergoing career change in a difficult economy, called Pushing the Pink Envelope. If you have a story to share, you can do so on the Pushing the Pink Envelope website.

Tanzanian Entrepreneur Wins TIAW 2009 World of Difference Award

Victoria Kisyombe, the founder and director of Sero Lease and Finance Ltd (SELFINA), is this year's winner of the The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) World of Difference Award. Victoria has channeled her creativity and innovative vision into creating SELFINA, an organization that offers microleasing as a solution to poverty-stricken women across Tanzania who lack collateral and access to capital to expand their microenterprises. The organization's efforts have reached 185,000 Tanzanians to date. TIAW's mission is to support the economic advancement of women by supporting professional women and enabling networking. The World of Difference Award recognizes women whose efforts have advanced the economic empowerment of women locally, regionally, or worldwide. Congratulations Victoria on a well-deserved award!