Despite tremendous growth over the past 50 years, women still face numerous challenges in leadership and the workforce overall. Women are still not paid equivalently, with only 77 cents to every man’s $1 . Gender stereotypes in the workplace still exist, especially in regards to femininity and motherhood, and these often inhibit the promotion of women.

At Case Western Reserve University, males represent 56 percent of the student population. Many of us are unaware of the ramifications of these gender stereotypes and pressures within our generation, and Women in Leadership Week (WILW) was designed to help us bridge our gaps in knowledge about these issues and strengthen our skills within our respective fields. This year, WILW will be held from Oct. 5 to Oct. 11.

Women in Leadership Week begins with a fall leadership conference, open to all students to identify and develop leadership styles and skills. Saturday and Sunday afternoon highlight women in sports, a place where many of our women leaders are underappreciated. Although CWRU lacks support for all athletics in general, women’s events are even less attended than men’s sporting events. In 2010, ESPN Sportscenter nationally spent only 1.4 percent of coverage on women’s sports, an approximate 5 percent drop in coverage compared to 20 years ago. Instead of ignoring women’s athletics, sports fans should support these fantastic soccer and volleyball players.

Continuing with the agenda of WILW’s events, Monday features a women’s shelter donation drive. On Tuesday, a personal finance and small business start-up seminar with free Jimmy John’s will be the event of the evening. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke will be discussed on Wednesday, delving into the literal blurred lines between the empowerment and objectification of women. An invitation-only Women in Leadership networking event will be held in the Thwing Ballroom on Thursday evening, complete with a networking workshop and hors-d’oeuvres. Women in Leadership Week concludes with the celebration of the Mather Spotlight Prize winners, featuring top scholars from around the university. Everyone is invited to attend, but you must register for this event to secure a spot at this Women in Achievement luncheon. More details about WILW are available through CWRU’s website: http://students.case.edu/groups/mistletoe/womenleader.html.

Sources:
CONSAD Gender Wage Gap Report
US News Rankings and Reviews
Women’s Sports gets 1.6% of Local TV News Sports Coverage, fair.org July 13, 2010