Posted on October 6, 2008 by Frances Green

Why Women's Initiatives Work

We recently read an article that disputed the value of programs or organizations devoted to the networking of women, which made our blood boil. The author of the article, “Death by Committee: Is a Women’s Initiative Meeting Worth Your Time?” American Lawyer Magazine (June 3, 2008), asked, are women's initiatives adding value to the women they serve? Are they useful to the organization? Do they espouse skill building and networking that are necessary for advancement? The author also proposed that women's initiatives "may do more harm than good."

As the founders of the EpsteinBeckerGreen Women’s Initiative, we couldn't disagree more with that proposition. After all, we’ve seen first-hand the positive impact of our programs on EpsteinBeckerGreen’s women attorneys. We wrote a Letter to the Editor of American Lawyer Magazine in defense of women’s initiatives. We noted that the author of the June 3rd article assumed that the only worthy purpose of a women's initiative is to focus on work/family and related issues. However, that simply isn't the case. Women's initiatives that focus on increasing a women’s access to potential clients through internal and external networking and strengthening leadership skills through mentoring are also extremely valuable to women.

A copy of our complete Letter to the Editor is set forth here. We want to know what you think of women's initiatives. Have they helped you in your career?

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Posted on October 5, 2008 by Frances Green

Male/Female Pay Disparities Exist, But for How Much Longer?

The results of a new survey concerning pay disparities among men and women made us cringe. Based on 25 years' of information collected by the federal government, the study reveals that men who hold a traditional view of a woman’s role in society make more money than men who are egalitarian and more modern thinkers. Although we felt that the results aren't earth-shattering, we were unhappy to see how large the pay gap is. As reported in the Washington Post, "Men with traditional attitudes about gender roles earned $11,930 more a year than men with egalitarian views and $14,404 more than women with traditional attitudes." Also, women with egalitarian attitudes about the role of women in the workplace tend to earn slightly more ($1,500) than women with traditional attitudes about the role of women.

On a brighter note, the survey indicates that more and more Americans are becoming egalitarian in their perspective of the women's role in the workplace. And researchers suggest that "disparities in income might recede as egalitarian views become more prevalent."

In our opinion, no one should be rewarded for being sexist. Also, the traditional view that women should stay in the kitchen doesn't make sense in today's crumbling U.S. economy, where many families’ survival depends on the woman earning a salary.

What were your thoughts when you read the survey? Have you encountered traditional-minded attitudes about women at your job?

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Posted on October 3, 2008 by Frances Green

Welcome!

The "winds of change” are indeed blowing in our Nation and throughout the world economy, as we look forward to an election year and, hopefully, new and good things to come here in the U.S. At least one thing is certain: Women have been propelled to the forefront of the “change” dialogue. Whichever side of the political dialogue you are on—and even if you are not on any side—it is fair to say that, with the campaign of Hillary and the advent of Sarah, women are front-page news.

The purpose of this blog is to help business and professional women, like you, share information and ideas on many topics that matter, such as balancing work and family, the dos and don'ts of networking, overcoming gender gaps and sexism in the workplace, rainmaking and client development, and improving leadership qualities and skills. We also hope that, through your feedback, we will learn from each other’s experiences, make new contacts and develop rewarding professional relationships both online and off—that is, in real life. We couldn't think of a more exciting time to start our conversation with you all (more than 36 million women participate in the blogosphere each week! (Blogging’s Glass Ceiling, www.nytimes.com, July 27, 2008)).

Our mission to help women develop professionally isn't new. Six years ago, we established the EpsteinBeckerGreen Women's Initiative, which provides informal opportunities for the women at our Firm to network with other women executives, along with the chance to learn or improve a skill. Our Women's Initiative has held many successful networking programs, including golf clinics, cooking classes, media skills workshops, wine tastings and self defense classes around the country, and there are two new programs scheduled next month.

We hope that you enjoy our blog and feel inspired by it. We look forward to getting to know you as you learn more about us.

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