While looking through the archives of The Economist at work (stagiaire) , I saw on the cover for Jan 2nd – 8th
2010 the popular poster of Rosie the Riveter saying “We Did It”, an update of the original poster that said “We Can Do It ” . Although I have my reservations about the picture, I was more interested in the question the article asked “What happens when women are over half the workforce?” Is this happening all over the world or in certain countries? Are we going to notice any significant change in terms of productivity?What are your thoughts?
See article below written by The Economist in 2009 here http://www.economist.com/node/15174418
I think that in many sectors and in some places we are seeing women reach over 50%. This is to be commended and applauded in terms of gender equality when one discusses numbers. However, when the environment or the benefits do not complement this push towards equity, then no matter how many physical individuals you have in the workforce it still is not equal. Take for instance an earlier WIPA post on MIT. MIT came to realize that gender quotas alone would not be sufficient to truly attain gender equity. Instead they instituted a series of supplementary efforts to ensure that the environment promoted equity.
Thus I think that when one discusses gender equality, one has to recognize that it is more than a numbers game. Its is instead a comprehensive series of reforms that ensure that men and women have an equal voice and access to their personal and professional aspirations.