Women Leading Well

If you are are women in leadership or someone that manages female leaders, what challenges are you experiencing? So much of the leadership discuss for and about women in leadership focuses on mentoring, negotiation, confidence and the getting the right skill set to move forward. All of this is good, but not enough. Very little is focused on the health and well-being issues that uniquely impact female leaders at all levels. These issues have a direct impact on how women lead and how they are viewed as leaders.

Without authentic conversations about the challenges, we can't solve for them. Without quality research that identifies the gaps we are missing, women will continue to not be on an even playing field, personally and professionally. Without owning that some female leaders do not support other women very well, we can't correct for those behaviors. Without good men standing beside us, we miss out on needed support to close the gender equity gap. Men benefit when women rise. They need to be part of the solution.

Over the past few months, Global Women 4 Wellbeing (GW4W), has been talking with female and male leadership in the Philippines, Japan, Boston, Chicago, New York and Argentina. What we find is that there are common barriers and then there are those that are specific to a cultural or demographic. Here are just a few of the topics of discussion at GW4W accelerator events:

• Almost all women in leadership experience glass ceiling issues, but women of color have an even tougher challenge.
• Older women experience ageism at a higher rate then their male counterparts.
• Young women graduating from college are making less at the end of their first year in the workforce than their male counterparts.
• Care taking issues impact female leaders at all levels in a way that doesn't impact men in the same way in the workplace.
• Men in the workplace often do want to help close the gender equity gap, but are unsure of the best way to do that.
• Women do not have health care equity because so many of the treatments for different health issues are based on male physiology.
• According to the World Economic Forum, it will take at least 100 years for women to have pay, health and leadership equity.

We can and must do better.

Motivity Partnerships supports Global Women 4 Wellbeing (GW4W) because of the unique approach the non-profit 501(c)3 organization takes to addressing how organizations and communities can better empower female leaders at all levels. And yes, I am a founding member and actively involved.

These are some of the female GW4W voices of leadership from Tokyo the GW4W September, 2018 event and features our GW4W - Asia Executive Director, Dr. Gina Parekh.

Is your organization looking to better address women in leadership issues? Are you a leader, at any level, that wants to add your voice to make positive change and empower more healthy female leadership? You are invited to join us at www.gw4w.org and connect with GW4W on Facebook.

The gift of your voice and your support, contributes to needed research focused on women's health, wellbeing and leadership; the development of better tools resources; and gets you connected to the growing GW4W network of leaders around the world.

Use your voice and join us. We can do more good together. It doesn't have to take 100 years.

Motivity Partnerships - www.motivitypartnerships.com

Global Women 4 Wellbeing (GW4W) - www.gw4w.org