Women in positions of power
[2] Accurate and proportional representation of men in social systems has been shown to be important to the long-lasting success of the human race and existence.
Positions of power can exist in almost any setting (such as librarianship, where the concept of power is discussed in the broader health literature and the occupational therapy literature from three perspectives), from small scale, unofficial groups or clubs all the way to the obvious leaders of nations or CEOs of companies[5] These more official situations are found in many areas, such as government, industry and business, science and academia, the media, the Non Governmental Organizations, and many other sectors in the society.
[9][10] These factors play in especially when coupled with the gender difference: research from the Journal of the National Association of Social Workers has found that the "double burden of racism and sexism exacts a toll on their mental health and restricts their opportunities".
[14] The example of the vastly female-dominated nurse occupation, 95% women as of the 2000s,[15] reflects this, as it is the doctors that ultimately are in charge and have the power in the nurse-doctor relationship.
[14] Traditional stereotypes of women make them out to be much more emotional and irrational than men, and thus, less suited for many important jobs.
[16] One survey based in South Africa found that "over 30 per cent ... are of the opinion that women are too emotional to be able to handle high level leadership positions";[18] evidently, stereotypes persist and still take effect.
For example, studies have found in India that "large scale membership of women in local councils" can be more effective in exerting influence, such as over crime rates, than "their presence in higher level leadership positions".
After earning the right to vote, it often took decades for women to turn out to the polls in numbers proportional to their male counterparts.
[23] Many countries have instituted quotas dictating a minimum number of women to be given elected positions in governments.
[24] However, there are still flaws to quota systems and there is some controversy over the effectiveness of representation,[25][26] as some studies have found actual policy change to be limited.
Thirty percent of elected position seats was recommended as the critical mass necessary to gain effective policy from female representation.
Studies have found that gender diversity in top-level boards means broader perspectives and opinions, which result in more comprehensive outcomes.
New tactics need to be enacted in order to give employers incentives to hire more women, specifically for management and executive roles.
“A significant body of research shows that for women, the subtle gender bias that persists in organizations and in society disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader.”[36] Once this bias is rectified, women will be able to gain leadership positions in their companies and/or organizations.
The glass ceiling is a phenomenon in which women in the workplace, climb the corporate ladder with qualifications equal to those of their male counterparts only to find that they cannot proceed past a certain point due to gender stereotypes and their implications.
[39] This is an immense reason why a lot of women do not chase after positions of power because of a lack of self-worth brought on by gender stereotypes and inequalities.
Evidence shows that organizations that play an active management role in diversity in the workplace have positive results.
Active management in diversity has led to pay equity, more flexible schedules, and equal access to advancement opportunities.
[41] Integrating women more thoroughly into academia may be important to developing future gender equality as well as greater research outcomes.
[47] Economics research states that culture can “transmit values and norms that last for centuries and even millennia” and they have “nothing to substantiate them except handed-down beliefs”.
[48] This research indicates that one reason women are not advancing in top positions in businesses is because of gender norms that have perpetuated into the 20th century.
[51] Norway, Sweden, Finland, and other countries in Scandinavia have had long-established parliaments and have gone through a long, slow process of integrating women into power positions.
[citation needed] There were Social and economic reforms beginning in the mid-nineteenth century that demanded that women play more of a role in the Middle East societies, at the beginning of these men were the ones who put these demands forward, but by the end of the nineteenth century, women were able to get more involved.
[54] The earliest organized women movements were developed in Turkey, Iran, and Egypt during the first ten years of the 20th century.
[54] The Egyptian Feminist Union was created in 1924 because most male politicians would not be willing to campaign for women's demands and practical issues like improvements to accessing education, greater awareness of health issues that affect women, and minor legal changes including the minimum marriage age.
Over 20 years the Union worked hard against the government and finally achieving these practical successes but only on limited bases.
[17] The presence of women in Argentine government can also be attributed to the Peronist Feminist Party, instituted by Juan Perón and led by his wife Eva.
During that three-year intermission, she became the first executive director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
[57] Other historical examples of female heads of state include Isabel Perón (Argentina, 1974-6), Violeta Chamorro (Nicaragua, 1990-7), Mireya Moscoso de Arias (Panama, 1999–2004), Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (Argentina, 2007–2015), Laura Chinchilla (Costa Rica, 2010–14), and Dilma Rousseff (Brazil, 2011–2016).
This group also created a movement to force the government to lower the prices of rice and also to open ration shops.
