10th-July-2009
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Sisters are doin' it for themselves | |
An opinion piece from Stuff: Quote:
OPINION: The week after a bunch of women held a protest rally outside Parliament to challenge the Government on pay equity, another group of women held a champagne-quaffing do in Auckland to launch a new Global Women network.
The two are not linked, other than they both involve women's advancement. And it's notable Prime Minister John Key didn't front at the rally - about why National has abolished the Department of Labour's Pay and Employment Equity Unit - yet he found the time to present a well-received speech at the high-profile Global Women gathering.
Constitutional lawyer Mai Chen, who chairs New Zealand Global Women, is at pains to point out her new group is not a lobby group for issues: "Plenty of other groups do that.'' Instead, the aim is to nurture women leaders - existing and emerging - which is why the organisation launched in Leadership Week.
It may seem surprising such a group is needed in a country lauded internationally for (at least in the past) having women in a number of the top roles, including prime minister, governor-general and chief justice. And one of our claims to fame is being the first country to give women the vote.
But the Global Women project was started after a group of New Zealand senior women business leaders decided there was a need for a formal networking group to provide support. "Older businessmen have the old boys' network to help each other but that's no help to us,'' Chen says.
The numbers that turned up for the launch at the Auckland University Business School point to an untapped need. It's unusual attending any business event where the number of women outweigh the men by a factor of 10. The noise levels were at least three times louder than usual as well.
The organisers catered for 150, expecting only half of those invited to turn up, but about 300 came. "We nearly ran out of alcohol,'' says Chen, in a horrified tone.
Chen is an obvious choice as chair as she previously led an informal network where women leaders got together for lunch or dinner under Chatham House rules to discuss everything from strategy to stress.
"You can get isolated and our experience is not exactly the same as male leaders,'' Chen says.
The other members of the nine-strong advisory board represent the creme-de-la-creme of New Zealand's businesswomen and include former prime minister Jenny Shipley, New York-based Bridget Liddell, who chairs the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise North American Beachhead advisory board, and Securities Commission chair Jane Diplock.
It costs $500 to join and several expatriates in Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Britain and the United States are members.
The group is also unashamedly invitation-only.
The selection criteria include: occupying, or having occupied, a very senior leadership position in an influential company or organisation, including public sector or non-profit; having demonstrated thoughtful leadership and vision; being well-connected and influential; and being a role model for other women in New Zealand and having a commitment to supporting other women achieve leadership positions.
It is the latter that is most important.
As Chen says, most of the women involved would not have got where they are today without mentoring (although many mentors were men). Already, many Global Women members act as mentors.
"We know there's a power to it.''
No surprises then that its first open event will be a forum for emerging leaders in November.
Chen received an email this week from a woman applying for a chief executive role in a business in a traditionally male sphere.
She was resigned to not getting the job but Chen encouraged her to put her best foot forward anyway.
"The whole point of this group is to get beyond gender and have people hired on merit and not have preconceived ideas of who is best. The only way to change that is to put yourself forward.''
| Link: Article at Stuff
One question, why weren't they at work?
Equal pay, less working hours?
Last edited by MikeT; 10th-July-2009 at 11:46 PM..
Reason: Removed imbedded ad
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