Women in Leadership Persist Against Unconscious Bias

Converse College Class of 2019 Student Government Council: Paige Robinson, Naija Murphy, Makayla Gay, Tiffani Hagan, and Ashley Thompson

In recent years, women have taken tremendous strides towards equality in the workplace; however, a lack of women in high political and executive business positions still plagues modern enterprise. A recent study conducted by Pew Research Center shows that most Americans believe that women are more than well suited to hold these positions. Some even think that women supersede men in certain leadership aspects such as innovation, intellect, organization and management. The lack of women in leadership positions is due to the stigma that still exists around this topic.

Research shows that 43 percent of people believe that women do not obtain as many leadership positions as men because they are held to higher standards than men are. Women have to work twice as hard as men to prove themselves in the workplace and be taken seriously. Similarly, the same percentage agreed that America is not ready to elect women to top leadership positions. Today, a larger number of women choose to start families later in life and some not at all, so it is not surprising that only 23 percent of Americans say that family responsibilities prevent women from taking leadership positions. A very small percentage that believe women are not capable of holding these offices still remains, but is no doubt outnumbered by a more progressive society.

Countless women around the world hold powerful leadership positions, but America still lags behind most modernized countries. Thankfully, American women have already begun to rectify this by paving the way for progress. Most recently, in the 2017 elections, Danica Roem made history and became the first openly transgender person to be elected to the Virginia legislature. Although the U.S. has yet to see a women in the presidency, earlier in 2016, America witnessed Hillary Clinton become the first female candidate to be nominated for president by a major United States political party.

Deeply troubling double standards for women have been engrained in American society. American citizens must be willing to change their ideology in order to remedy their mistakes. They must change the way they raise their children to foster an empowering and equal environment and expose them to diversity.

Converse College, a women’s college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, is creating a powerful environment for women to voice their own opinions and value their visions. Allison Owens, a BFA in Studio art said, “There’s a mutual understanding at Converse that we’re all here to see women succeed. Knowing that a woman is going to be in a leadership position no matter who wins is empowering within itself.”

Naija Murphy, the Junior Class President at Converse feels more comfortable and free to discuss her thoughts and ideas at a women’s college as opposed to a coed institution. “I wouldn’t have felt as confident in my ability to campaign at a coed school because I would’ve been concerned that male voices would be heard over my thoughts and opinions.”

The glass ceiling may seem subtle and transparent at first, but years of frustration and determination have revealed just how obstructive it is. Unfortunately, women still receive a considerable amount of resistance in the workplace, but research shows ample and welcome support for women in leadership positions. Each step towards progress and empowerment emphasizes that the time for a change is far past due.