Delivered November 21st, 2019. Contributors: Nyaingo J. and
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Perceptions of Female Empowerment: US
The majority of Americans believe that women are more intelligent than men. Both genders in the U.S. believe that sexual harassment at work reflects the problems our society faces. In empowering women, several women leaders are involved; however, a few like Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Sheryl Sandberg stand out owing to their immeasurable contribution to empowering women.
Perceptions of Female Empowerment: U.S.
According to survey data published by Pew
Research Center following a 2017 study, 87% of the respondents said men and women are different regarding “how they express their feelings.” Among the respondents, 58% believe the differences are societal, while 42% believe they stem from biology.
Likewise, in a 1946 poll, 34% of the respondents noted that women are more intelligent than men; however, in a 2018 poll, the figure had climbed to 65%. In another 2018 poll, 86% of the respondents indicated that men and women are equally intelligent, with 9% believing women are more intelligent than men versus only 5% that shared the notion that men are more intelligent than women.
According to a 1940s poll, more than 50% of the respondents noted that women had better people skills and more compassion and kindness than men. By 2018, that figure had climbed to about 75%. The research findings noted that since the mid-20th century to date, Americans still believe that men are more assertive than women.
71% of men versus 60% of men believe that the recent sexual harassment allegations in the workplace reflect societal problems. 22% of women say they have been sexually harassed at work. On that note, some research findings also show that 21% of men versus 9% of women under 30 have been sexually harassed online.
Approximately four-in-ten employed women (42%) claim to have experienced some gender discrimination at the workplace, with another 57% claiming that the U.S. has done little to give them equal rights with men. Interestingly, both women (54%) and men (58%) claim that there is no major difference regarding which gender has it easier nowadays.
According to most Americans, women face a lot of pressure to be an involved parent with the family (77%) and be physically appealing 71%. Similarly, 45% of men claim to face a lot of pressure when joining a conversation in which the other men talk about women sexually.
Being the 66th U.S. Secretary of State, her focus is to encourage the next wave of women of leaders. She was among the keynote speakers during the 2018 KPMG Women's Leadership Summit, which provides scholarships to high performing female high school students.
Her notable works include a documentary titled “American Creed,” which she collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy to make it a reality. The project focuses on the meaning of the American experience.
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is Facebook's chief operating officer. She is also the author of “Lean In” along with Nell Scovell. Sandberg also founded LeanIn.org, an organization advocating for equality between men and women in the workplace and all other gender insensitive areas.
Sandberg's organization has 44,000 Lean In Circles in more than 170 countries. It has a partnership with Getty Image, which helps it to curate over 15,000 images of empowered girls and women.
Research Methodology
To find information about the perception of female empowerment in the US, and who are 2-3 of the key players, your research team commenced by examining surveys and reports on gender and women empowerment. On that note, we explored different sources, including research reports vendors, who are more likely to publish information on women empowerment. Fortunately, we found several reports and news articles published by leading corporate companies and news media groups, with credible information on women empowerment perceptions. Some reports we checked include Apa.org, Los Angeles Times, Qz.com, Pew Research, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, and many more. Regarding key leaders in women empowerment, we found a precompiled list of top 30 female leaders actively involved in women empowerment. The list published by Fairygodboss contained top female leaders championing the narrative of women empowerment across different domains, including gender harassment, equality, financial inclusion, leadership, etc. We proceeded to filter through the list to remain with only women that are actively involved in the empowerment of women, and those that have achieved success. Through this approach, we uncovered information on Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Sheryl Sandberg, as some top and best women leaders in female empowerment.
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Perceptions of Female Empowerment: Europe
An abundance of data and statistics indicate that women are still a long way off attaining full economic
independence. Both men and women share different perceptions on women empowerment based on things like decision-making, politics, ambition, etc. Notable women championing for women empowerment in Europe, the UK, and worldwide include Dr. Miranda Brawn and Karen Blacket.
Perception of Female Empowerment in Europe
Findings from a recent special Eurobarometer survey
on gender equality indicates that gender equality has still not been achieved
in the European Union Member States. According to the survey, 80% of men and 84% of the respondents
agreed that gender equality is important for
them.
The report continues to show that over 35% of Europeans
feel that men are more ambitious than women. Likewise, almost seven in ten (69%) respondents believe that women have a higher tendency to make decisions influenced by emotions.
In the domestic sphere, the survey found out that European women are perceived as carers more than
men. The idea is also observed in the professional space, specifically in the broader financial dependency of women
and in the unequal distribution of labor and roles within the household.
70% of Europeans are in favor of legal
standards to facilitate parity between women and men in politics. Another 86% of the respondents are also in favor of being represented by female politicians.
The survey further indicated that 54% of Europeans believe there should be more women in political decision-making positions. However, 34% of respondents think that women are
less interested in political roles when compared to men.
Over four in ten Europeans (44%) think that the most important responsibility for women is to take care of their households. In one-third of European Union Member States, the percentage rises to 70% or more. Again, 73% of Europeans indicate that women spend a bigger portion of their time than men to perform housework
and caring activities.
Dwindling transparency in wages has led to 64% of employees in the European Union favoring the publishing of average wages
based on job type and gender at the company level. In the UK, companies with over 250 employees are required to publish the figures for
pay gaps.
Leading Voices in Female Empowerment in Europe
Dr. Miranda Brawn
Dr. Miranda Brawn is the head of derivatives — Legal and Transaction Management (EMEA) at Daiwa. She is actively involved in various programs aimed at empowering women. Her work includes speaking out internationally in support of the younger generations and diversity in media and the press.
In 2014, Blackett launched a female empowerment program at MediaCom with Shine4women. She was also actively involved in the launching of 'Our Time initiative,' a mentoring program facilitated by London's Mayor — Sadiq Khan.
Blackett is a member of Women in Advertising and Communications London (WACL), and she is one of four external advisors tasked with the mandate of helping to diversify the Civil Service.
Your research team explored reports on equality published by leading government and corporate institutions to unearth the perception of female empowerment in Europe. We found one recent report published by the European Commission with in-depth information on women empowerment and diversity. The report featured findings of a recent Special Eurobarometer survey
on gender equality, with perceptions of female empowerment from both men and women. The survey contained comprehensive data regarding the perception of female empowerment. Next, in determining the two key players in women empowerment in Europe, we came across a report highlighting the top 100 female executives of 2019. The list featured women from all over the world, so we focused on those working in Europe. We filtered through the lists by checking at the efforts these women have put in empowering females, including the impact these efforts have had. Using this approach, we found out that Karen Blackett and Dr. Miranda Brawn stand out as exceptional female executives who have impacted many people, especially women across the UK, Europe, and the world. Therefore, these two iconic and most celebrated women across Europe were adopted as key players in women empowerment.
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Perceptions of Female Empowerment: Asia
According to 2017 data of schooling preferences, Japanese females were found to be 4% less likely to attend higher education outside their high school jurisdiction because parents fear for their safety. Generally, a majority of Asian women (45%) agree that demanding jobs that include relocation and full-time availability significantly hinder their empowerment. Top females advocating for women empowerment in Asia include Sophie Guerin and Sarah Mckensey.
31% of women claim that the absence of female role models, the lack of pro-family public programs (30%), and the tendency of organizations to evaluate staff on time commitment (28%), undermines gender diversity in Asia. Surprisingly, 8% of women claim that creating gender-diverse leadership teams does not align with the entire corporate culture.
13% of women claim that poor networking of women versus men and the tendency of companies to assign them support or staff roles also undermines their empowerment. 9% of the respondents also attribute the barriers to women's voluntary decisions to leave employment.
On average, 31% of women in Asia have experienced some form of domestic violence. Interestingly, over 29% of women also agree that domestic violence is justified in some situations. 54% of Chinese and 81% of Koreans believe that widows are mistreated either severely or fairly.
Perception of Women Empowerment in Japan
In Japan, the low enrollment of women in higher learning institutions (27% in 2017) the limits the potential of having many Japanese women leveling up to top positions in companies.
Another perception that exists in Japan is that women do not want to become managers because of the steep decline in their concentration across job categories, i.e., 49% occupy entry-level positions, 9% are in middle management and only 1% in senior management.
A 2015 Intelligence HITO Research Institute survey indicated that 75% of female respondents noted that the lack of confidence in taking leadership roles, the lack of role models, and the more responsibilities and long working hours due to promotions discourage them from seeking managerial positions.
Another reason crippling women empowerment in Japan is the long working hours of the nation. OECD data shows that Japanese men work 46% more hours than men in the U.S.
University enrollment data shows that Japanese women are less interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses evidenced by a 20% higher female representation in non-STEM degrees.
Other data shows that women are 5% less likely than men to attend higher education outside the same area as their high school. 2017 data shows that 59% of men versus 54% of women traveled to study in universities outside their high school prefecture. The main reason for this difference is the worry parents have regarding the safety of their daughters.
Research findings show that Guerin's purpose has been to empower minority Asian populations. She is also focusing on empowering women in Asia in STEM via her role in Dell.
Your research team uncovered different statistics regarding the perception of female empowerment in Asia. The team explored comprehensive diversity and gender reports published by world-leading research companies like McKinsey, along with international organizations like UNICEF, OECD, and the British Chamber of Commerce — Singapore. We also checked findings published by news articles covering the Asian region. These sources featured in-depth analyses backed by hard data about the perception of female empowerment in Asia. On the other hand, we managed to determine the leading voices in female empowerment in Asia by examining the leading women in championing for women empowerment as keynote speakers in conferences, summits, and forums. We explored different summits held in Asia specifically for diversity and gender and women empowerment and found out that Sarah Mckensey was a keynote speaker in the Asian Women in Leadership Summit and the FIT Summit: Health & Fitness Conference in Singapore, while Sophie Guerin was a keynote speaker at the Asian Women in Leadership Summit. Research findings also indicate that these women are actively engaged in advancing women empowerment in the workforce, with special focus on domains where women are underrepresented, like STEM courses.
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Girls Are Awesome Branding Opportunities
Some potential partners of Girls Are Awesome in the female empowerment space include leading sports brands like Nike, which is a leading voice in women empowerment in sports. Equally, Time's Up, a global women's empowerment organization focusing on addressing gender bias in the workplace, is also a potential partner for Girls Are Awesome movement. The following sections feature brief analyses of each organization regarding how it is a potential partner for Girls Are Awesome.
Likewise, Nike is currently focused on addressing the many stereotypes women face in sports compared to men. For instance, when a man shows emotion while playing, people associate that emotion with passion; however, when a woman shows emotion when playing, people tend to think that she is being unreasonable.
Therefore, for those two reasons, Nike is a potential partner for Girls Are Awesome in the line of sports empowerment.
As of 2017 November, the organization had fielded approximately 1,700 requests from all over the world, including nations like Kenya, Kuwait, and the U.S.
Time's Up has a call to action on its website, asking people to join and partner with them. In this regard, it is showing commitment to partner with other organizations seeking to empower women even more. Moreover, the organization is one of the leading movements helping women in the world.
Research Methodology
To find some potential partners for Girls Are Awesome in the female empowerment space globally, your research team started by searching for the top women empowerment movements and organizations globally. This included focusing on leading brands addressing issues women face in leadership, sports, and the workplace. In this regard, we came across many examples of organizations that empower women; however, to identify the potential partners for Girls Are Awesome, we focused on organizations with a call to action like Time's Up, about partnering with them or joining them to support their initiative. We also looked for leading voices in specific empowerment areas like sports, since the organization has already partnered with Adidas Originals; therefore, it can likely partner with other sports brands like Nike. Research findings indicate that Nike is very vocal at advocating for women empowerment through sports, and has launched related campaigns and advertisements to get more women to participate in sports. "Dream Crazier,” is an example of a campaign run by Nike to promote sports participation among women by inspiring them not to give up but to remain committed and dedicated. Overall, Time's Up and Nike were chosen as potential partners for Girls Are Awesome because Nike is committed to empowering women in sports. Likewise, Time's Up is committed to eradicating gender bias in the workplace and has a call to action feature on its website to encourage people and organizations to join and partner with them, respectively.
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Female Empowerment Executive Summary
A consolidated and comprehensive overview of the perception of female empowerment in the U.S., Europe, and Asia is provided below. The summary includes a list of six renowned women championing female empowerment in the three regions. Included in the brief are two examples of potential partners of Girls Are Awesome movement.
87% of respondents of a 2017 Pew Research noted that both men and women have issues expressing themselves. On that note, 58% of the respondents attribute the behavior to societal forces, while 42% attribute it to biology.
Despite efforts in women empowerment in Europe, less has been achieved. Generally, findings from a special Eurobarometer survey show that 80% of men and 84% of the respondents
agree that gender equality is crucial for them.
Statistics indicate that 70% of Europeans favor legal
standards that facilitate parity between women and men in politics, while another 86% of the respondents from the Eurobarometer survey prefer to be represented by female politicians.
The case for Asian women is no different, as 45% agree that performance-driven jobs requiring 24/7 availability and regular traveling impede gender diversity in the region. Equally, another 32% say that the “double-burden” syndrome also adds to the barriers of women empowerment.
Girls Are Awesome movement can benefit from many other organizations and individuals who seek to support women empowerment across all facets of life.
The movement currently enjoys a partnership with Adidas originals; however, it can benefit from more partnerships with other leading sports brands like Nike, which is very committed to empowering women through sports.
In this regard, Nike can form another great partner of Girls Are Awesome due to its commitment to empowering women using sports.
Another potential partner for Girls Are Awesome is Time's Up, which is open to partnering with any individual or organization. On its website is a call to action clause that asks people to join them to further their empowerment work.
Notable voices of women empowerment in Europe include Dr. Miranda Brawn, the head of derivatives — Legal and Transaction Management (EMEA) at Daiwa. She is actively involved in programs that empower women and is a regular keynote speaker in international summits about diversity and inclusivity.
The Asian region features renowned female activists in gender and inclusivity like Sophie Guerin, the head of diversity and inclusion at Dell's Asia Pacific, Japan, and China region. Guerin manages diversity and inclusion activities in 18 Asian countries.
Another famous woman in Asia, who advocates for women empowerment is Sarah Mckensey, the head of diversity and inclusion for Johnson & Johnson, Asia Pacific region. Mckensey facilitates the creation of partnerships with businesses to promote diversity and inclusion in the region.